OVERALL PROGRESS TO DATE
Viet Nam has shown strong commitment to environmental concerns at the international and policy level, and significant achievements have been made in relation to MDG 7. For example, forest coverage has increased from 27.8 percent in 1990 to about 40 percent in 2010. Today, about 83 per cent of the rural population has access to safe water, up from 30 per cent in 1990.

OVERALL PROGRESS TO DATE
Viet Nam has made significant improvements in the legal and policy framework in recent years, and has a sound national strategy and plans in place for responding to HIV. The HIV prevalence rate is estimated at 0.28 per cent for all age groups in 2010. The scope of anti-retroviral treatment has expanded from an estimated 30 per cent in 2007 to 53.7 per cent in 2009.

Impressive progress on prevention and control of malaria shows that Viet Nam has already achieved the MDG target on malaria control. Viet Nam is also acknowledged to have done a good job in controlling other epidemics such as SARS, H5N1 and H1N1.

OVERALL PROGRESS TO DATE
Maternal mortality has declined considerably over the last two decades, from 233 per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 69 per 100,000 live births in 20091, with approximately two thirds of this decrease related to safer pregnancy. Good progress has also been made in expanding access to quality reproductive health, including maternal and neonatal health; family planning; increased use of modern contraception; and establishment of stronger programmes, policies and laws for reproductive health and rights, as well as measures to provide quality services to the poor and other vulnerable groups.

OVERALL PROGRESS TO DATE
Viet Nam has already achieved the targets for both under-five mortality and infant mortality, with both these rates being halved between 1990 and 2006. The infant mortality rate was reduced from 44.4 per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 16 in 2009. The under-five mortality rate has also been reduced considerably, from 58 per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 24.4 in 2009. Furthermore, the ratio of children under five who are underweight fell from 25.2 per cent in 2005 to 18.9 per cent in 2009.

OVERALL PROGRESS TO DATE
Viet Nam has been very successful in increasing girls’ participation in education at primary and secondary levels. Girls now represent 48.2% of students enrolled at primary level, 48.1% at lower secondary level, and at upper secondary level 49.1%. A very high rate of women is involved in economic activities, expected to reach 83% in 2010, compared to 85% for men. And, at present, Viet Nam has one of the highest rates of representation of women in decision making in national parliament in the region: 25.8% of National Assembly deputies are women(1).