Vietnam

Including children with disabilities in education

^{© Handicap International}

Handicap International has been present in Vietnam since 1992 through its Belgium section, which operates in Ho Chi Minh city, in the south of the country. The France section has been active in Hanoi, in the north of the country, since 2001.

Handicap International has been involved in Vietnam in the implementation of projects for prevention of disabilities and rehabilitation of people with disabilities due to war, accidents, and congenital or incapacitating diseases. Each project is implemented with a view to turning it over to local authorities so that the actions can continue in the long term and benefit as many people as possible.

Disability factors in Vietnam are similar to those found across the world: intellectual disabilities, hearing and visual impairments and disabling diseases. Added to this are more specific causes linked to historic events in the country, the after effects of which are still being felt by the population, including disabilities caused by the war, unexploded ordnance, and congenital degeneration due to exposure to dioxin and other toxic products. The country is also faced with a series of modern challenges, including the AIDS epidemic, road accidents, and industrial accidents (factories, construction sites, etc).

The cross-border Vietnam/Laos project (focusing on the provinces of Quang Tri and Sepone) aims to prevent the spread of HIV by involving communities in socio-economic support activities and by building the capacities of local health and education institutions. Expected to last three years, this is now our programme's biggest project.

Key Facts - Vietnam

• Population: 89 million
• Household Consumption: $1,256 per year
• Life Expectancy: 75 years
• Human Development: ranked 113th out of 169 countries
_{Source: UNDP HDR 2011}

Stories from the field

Film: Living with disability in Vietnam

This short film gives a snapshot of the experience of a young woman living with disability in Vietnam.

Film: Bach Mai National Rehabilitation Centre

This film gives a brief introduction to the work of the Bach Mai National Rehabilitation Centre in Vietnam. In includes an inerview with Eric Weerts, Handicap International Technical Advisor to the Spinal Cord Injury Unit.

Inclusive education project continues in Bac Kan

In northern Vietnam, Handicap International currently operates in two districts of Bac Kan province, the city of Bac Kan and the district of Cho Moi. Enjoying a provincial and national scope, the project aims to support the inclusive education system.

Our projects

	Emergency intervention Handicap International took action after the destruction caused by typhoon Ketsana in Vietnam.
	HIV prevention in Quang Tri Aims to reduce the impact of HIV on vulnerable groups in 16 ethnic minority villages in the districts of Huong Hoa and Dakrong. Activities include organising prevention meetings with health officers in every village, training health officers, training 32 teachers in 8 ethnic minority schools, creating two HIV testing centres and providing general support for HIV positive people.
	Mother and child health This project aims to improve child health in the province of Khanh Hoa and Hue. The specific objectives are to reduce the child mortality rate, prevent disability before and during childbirth, improve early detection and intervention, and include children with disabilities in their communities. Activities include training health staff on these issues and providing equipment to health centres
	Centres for spinal injuries In partnership with Bach Mai hospital in Hanoi, this project aims to improve the healthcare of people suffering from spinal cord injuries. Handicap International provided the equipment for a healthcare referral unit for paraplegic and quadriplegic people, trained health staff and created satellite units in rural areas. After Typhoon Ketsana in 2009, we contributed to rehabilitating the Da Nang rehabilitation centre, which had been badly damaged. We also provided equipment for people suffering from spinal cord injuries and helped make their homes more accessible as part of the reconstruction.
	HIV/AIDS control A prevention and support project targeted at people living with HIV in South East Asia. The focus of the project is Route 9, a road linking Vietnam and Thailand, via Laos. The project targets populations that are discriminated against and absent from national HIV/AIDS control plans and, as a result, vulnerable to the impact of this pandemic.
	Inclusive education project in Bac Kan (North Vietnam) After providing occasional support on a small scale over a number of years in Bac Kan province, Handicap International, in partnership with Save the Children Sweden, has decided to take part in a series of wide-ranging actions with educational stakeholders. In 2008, the province set up, with state grants, an Inclusive Education Resource Centre. This centre is responsible for providing expert advice and a follow-up service to primary schools in the province (teachers and school directors) and to families in order to develop a reception system for children with disabilities in mainstream schools. 400 students will benefit from this highly-specialised and customized support and many professionals and parents will also be trained and provided with assistance.
	Road safety This project provides road safety education in schools, raises awareness among the general public, supports victims of road accidents by improving first aid, supports the strengthening of the highway code, and provides technical support for improving safety black spots on major roads.

Vietnam

Including children with disabilities in education

Key Facts - Vietnam

Stories from the field

Our projects

Related Links