The national-scale program aims to provide premarital health consultancy and check-up to 90% of couples and reduce the number of consanguineous marriages by 60%.
It targets to have 70% of pregnant women screened for at least four of the most popular congenital diseases and disorders, and 90% of newborn babies for at least five of the most common congenital health problems in the next 10 years.
Ninety percent of the communal-level localities will provide premarital health advice and examination, and prenatal and newborn screening. Prenatal and newborn screening and diagnosis facilities will also be developed at obstetric and pediatric hospitals and general hospitals in 56 provinces and cities.
By 2025, five regional screening and diagnosis centers will be upgraded, and two new similar centers will be built in the northern midland and mountainous region and the Central Highlands.
Viet Nam is the 13th most populous country in the world with millions of newborn babies each year. However, the percentage of population with physical and intellectual disabilities remains high.
Since 2006, the Ministry of Health has deployed a project on prenatal and newborn-screening program within the National Target Program on Population and Family Planning.
The prenatal and newborn-screening network was expanded throughout the country to reach the target of serving 30% of newborn babies and 15% of pregnant women by 2018.
The Ministry of Health said the network had contributed to reducing the rate of newborn babies with congenital defects./.
By Kim Anh