Though national level statistics on gender-based violence do not exist, existing research shows that domestic violence is a problem in North Vietnam. A number of
recent studies in North Vietnam suggest that about one third of women experience domestic violence, and one in every three abused women suffer more than one kind of violence.
Social norms and cultural attitudes pose a challenge in program intervention. Violence against women is a socially acceptable behavior amongst Vietnamese men; it is seen as a punishment for their wives when they transgress the traditional roles. In addition, Vietnamese women are expected to quietly endure the hardships and protect the harmony and reputation of the family. Many abused women, therefore, do not seek support.
Multisectoral action against domestic violence Vietnam has made many efforts in response to this issue. In 2007, the government issued a Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control, which clearly defined domestic violence as “any intentional action by a family member to cause damage or potentially cause damage in terms of physical, spiritual, and economic damages to another family member” and provides a legal framework for the intervention and prevention of domestic violence.
Showing posts with label maternal and child health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label maternal and child health. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
The ties that bind: untangling the socio-political context of Maternal and Child Health
Maternal and child health (MCH) is not an entirely new concern, but its inclusion in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) gave its attainment priority status. Goal 4 calls for the reduction of under-fi ve mortality by two-thirds by 2015, while Goal 5 aims to reduce maternal mortality rate by three-quarters.
Barely six years before the deadline, the global community still has a lot of catching up to do. At best, efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality ratios produce patchy results, with some countries attaining a level of success, while
others further slide down the ladder.
Maternal health
According to The Millennium Development Goals Report 2007, while child mortality
is on the decline, more than half a million women worldwide still die of pregnancy and/or childbirthrelated complications every year. In the Asia-Pacific region, South Asia posted the highest maternal mortality ratio of 546 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000. East Asia, on the other hand, had the lowest ratio of 55 per 100,000 live births. From 1997 – 2002, 31 percent of maternal deaths in Asia was due to hemorrhage.
Barely six years before the deadline, the global community still has a lot of catching up to do. At best, efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality ratios produce patchy results, with some countries attaining a level of success, while
others further slide down the ladder.
Maternal health
According to The Millennium Development Goals Report 2007, while child mortality
is on the decline, more than half a million women worldwide still die of pregnancy and/or childbirthrelated complications every year. In the Asia-Pacific region, South Asia posted the highest maternal mortality ratio of 546 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000. East Asia, on the other hand, had the lowest ratio of 55 per 100,000 live births. From 1997 – 2002, 31 percent of maternal deaths in Asia was due to hemorrhage.
Maternal & Child Health: the unpleasant truth
Mother and child has been a recurring theme in arts, owing mainly to the powerful images it evokes - that of the mother as a life-giving and caring creature, and that of the child as a personifi cation of purity and innocence. But the adage of art
imitating life certainly does not apply to this particular theme, for the truth about maternal and child health (MCH) situation is far from pleasant.
The latest issue of Health Alert Asia Pacific newsletter, provides untangles the sociopolitical context of Maternal and Child Health (MCH), providing an overview of the scope of the problem -- high incidences of maternal and child deaths, and mother to child transmission of HIV-- making MCH one of the pressing health concerns worldwide. This also features domestic violence situation in Vietnam which details the learnings of a Vietnamese organization in handling a gender-sensitivity and anti-violence against women program. The article also provides a few insights on how other organizations can help eliminate gender inequality and violence against women in their respective areas. Another article provides comprehensive look at the global burden of child labor including using children as child-warriors. Another article entitled, “Similarities and Differences of Traditional and Professional Health Care System in B’laan Communities,” explores the divergence and convergence between Western medicine and the traditional beliefs and practices of the B’laan tribe, an indigenous peoples living in the Philippine island of Mindanao. This issue of Health Alert also focuses on adolescent reproductive health and how the lack of information and services makes the youth more vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections and early pregnancy.
To request for copies of the newsletter, please write to hain@hain.org.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Health Issues and Situation in the Philippines
Eighty percent of the Philippine population, or about 69 million Filipinos, struggle to survive on P96.00 or less (about US$2). The US$2 benchmark is based on World Bank’s defi nition of poverty threshold. The threshold for the Millennium Development Goal is lower at less than US$1. Of the fi gure, 46 million Filipinos go
hungry everyday.
Based on the projection of the National Wages and Productivity Commission, a family of six living in the National Capital Region needs a living wage of P911.00, but the daily minimum wage is only P382.00. The low wage is a part of the conditions of the International Monetary Fund to ensure that the Philippines would be able to pay its debts.
The gap between the rich and the poor is getting wider, with the net worth of the ten richest Filipinos (US$12.4 billion in 2006) equivalent to the combined annual income of poorest 9.6 million families.
hungry everyday.
Based on the projection of the National Wages and Productivity Commission, a family of six living in the National Capital Region needs a living wage of P911.00, but the daily minimum wage is only P382.00. The low wage is a part of the conditions of the International Monetary Fund to ensure that the Philippines would be able to pay its debts.
The gap between the rich and the poor is getting wider, with the net worth of the ten richest Filipinos (US$12.4 billion in 2006) equivalent to the combined annual income of poorest 9.6 million families.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Breast is best
The advantages of breastmilk are legion, but I can summarize them in one sentence: It's free, it offers complete and superior nutrition, it provides protection against many diseases and health disorders.
Yet many Filipino couples choose to bottle-feed their infants. Sometimes the reason is that the mother has to return to work, and is unaware that she can refrigerate her breastmilk and have it given to the child. More often though, Filipino couples think that infant formula is superior to breastfeeding, and spend hard-earned money -- up to P1,000 a week – on the milk powder. The reason is simple: They're victims of the relentlessmarketing campaigns of the milk companies.
Yet many Filipino couples choose to bottle-feed their infants. Sometimes the reason is that the mother has to return to work, and is unaware that she can refrigerate her breastmilk and have it given to the child. More often though, Filipino couples think that infant formula is superior to breastfeeding, and spend hard-earned money -- up to P1,000 a week – on the milk powder. The reason is simple: They're victims of the relentlessmarketing campaigns of the milk companies.