However, child marriage, consanguineous marriage, and home births remain prevalent in many mountainous and remote localities, making women’s lives more difficult and leading to various health and social consequences. In areas with large ethnic minority populations such as Tuyen Quang, Cao Bang, Nghe An, and the Central Highlands, the rates of child marriage and consanguineous marriage have declined over the years but remain relatively high. In Nghe An Province, a recent case involving two eighth-grade girls being forced into marriage under an outdated custom has stirred public concern. Over the past decade, the province has recorded more than 2,000 cases of child marriage and consanguineous marriage among ethnic minority communities.
Various practical measures have been implemented by authorities and sectors to help improve living conditions for women in mountainous areas. Among them, the National Target Programme for Socio-economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the 2021–2030 period includes Project 7, focusing on improving public health, physical fitness, and stature among ethnic minorities and preventing child malnutrition, and Project 8, which aims to promote gender equality and address urgent issues affecting women and children. Both projects include support for reproductive healthcare for mothers and children.
During the first phase of implementation (2021–2025), many localities recorded positive changes in awareness and living conditions among ethnic minority women. The grassroots healthcare system has been upgraded, enabling women to access improved medical services. Notably, 183 commune health stations have been renovated or repaired; 225 commune health stations have met required standards after receiving equipment and qualified personnel; and more than 7,000 mothers in 10 provinces with high rates of home births have benefited from four support packages aimed at ensuring safe childbirth for ethnic minority women.
Reproductive healthcare for ethnic minority women has improved significantly in many localities thanks to the implementation of Projects 7 and 8. In Lao Cai Province, for example, the proportion of women receiving at least four antenatal check-ups has reached 81.3%, while the rate of births attended by trained health workers exceeds 90%.
According to Pham Bich Van, Deputy Director of the Lao Cai Department of Health, the provincial health sector has focused on strengthening the capacity of village health workers. These workers are the closest healthcare providers to local residents, regularly visiting households to provide knowledge about reproductive healthcare for women and girls, encouraging communities to abandon outdated practices and adopt modern medical knowledge. As a result, home births have gradually declined, pregnant women receive regular antenatal care, and women are supported in accessing gynaecological examinations and treatment.
Dak Lak Province, which is home to many ethnic minority communities, still faces relatively high rates of child marriage and early pregnancy. Notably, reproductive healthcare for women has traditionally relied mainly on oral knowledge passed down within families and communities. In the past, many ethnic minority women were unfamiliar with safe contraceptive methods or family planning. Today, however, awareness has improved significantly thanks to the outreach efforts of grassroots healthcare workers.
The Department of Maternal and Child Health under the Ministry of Health has also coordinated with relevant agencies to pilot the Electronic Maternal and Child Health (eMCH) in several localities. The system allows the integration and sharing of individual medical examination and treatment data, automatically generates reports, and helps reduce administrative burdens for healthcare workers.
Although many positive results have been achieved, in reality there remain a number of limitations in reproductive healthcare for ethnic minority women. These include a shortage of specialised obstetric and paediatric personnel at grassroots health facilities; limited medical equipment; difficulties in some localities in utilising funds when implementing projects; and the challenge of changing public awareness, as outdated customs have long been deeply rooted in community life.
According to Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Tri Thuc, to enhance effectiveness and sustainability, the health sector has proposed a number of solutions. These include strengthening training and increasing the number of grassroots health workers, with priority given to recruiting staff from ethnic minority communities; expanding mobile healthcare services to provide medical check-ups and counselling directly in villages and hamlets; and closely coordinating with local Women’s Union officials to better understand the needs and concerns of ethnic minority women so that timely support can be provided when necessary.
