Vietnamese mothers especially ethnic minorities living in rural and remote provinces can now access information and services on sexual and reproductive health through a smartphone application called Happy and Healthy Mother and Child (“MCH247”).
Participants at the launching ceremony
With this app, women can manage their sexual and reproductive health including pregnancy and childbirth, monitor the physical development of their children as well as vaccination schedules.
The Maternal and Child Health Department of the Ministry of Health and the United Nations Population Fund – UNFPA officially launched today the MCH247 app for IOS, Android and computer-based (window) versions, which was developed with technical support from UNFPA and Centre for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP) with funding from the Government of Japan. It was part of the ongoing tele-health interventions to ensure the provision and utilization of sexual and reproductive health information and services without disruption amid COVID-19.
The app was piloted in Bac Ninh, Hoa Binh, Sơn La and Bac Can provinces and will be rolled out throughout Viet Nam, with particular attention to the regions where other ethnic minorities and migrant workers reside.
The Deputy Director of the Maternal and Child Health Department of the Ministry of Health, Mr. Tran Dang Khoa, highlighted the significant contributions of the MCH247 App to the Ministry of Health’s efforts to ensure the provision of sexual and reproductive health information and services particularly during a prolonged and complicated pandemic situation.
In his opening remarks at the launching event, Mr. Tran Dang Khoa emphasised: “The Ministry of Health is grateful to UNFPA and the Government of Japan for their support to develop this useful digital tool which serves as a virtual bridge for health care workers including village birth attendants to reach their clients to provide them with comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and services. It is particularly useful for women amid the COVID-19 pandemic when travel restriction and social distancing are required or in other humanitarian situations. It is one of our attempts to make sure ‘no one is left behind’ amid and post pandemic.”
Also today, UNFPA Viet Nam handed over to the Maternal and Child Healh Department a full set of tele and video-conferencing equipment, which is essential part of the tele-health initiative. It allows the Ministry to conduct supervision and provide technical backstopping in sexual and reproductive health to provinces, carry out specific training sessions for capacity development, and orient technical directions in sexual and reproductive health protocols and guidelines.
Addressing the event, UNFPA Representative for Viet Nam, Ms. Naomi Kitahara said: “Thanks to financial support from the Government of Japan, UNFPA is proud to work with the Ministry of Health to develop the MCH 247 App.
"This is part of our ongoing tele-health initiative, but specifically geared towards sexual and reproductive health in ethnic minority populations," she said.