Sweden honours Vietnamese midwife
Phan Thi Hanh, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Association of Midwives, has become the first Vietnamese winner of the Midwives4all award, a global initiative by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to raise awareness about the benefits of midwives and midwifery.
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She received the award at a ceremony held by the Sweden Embassy in Hanoi on May 18.
Hanh said the honour makes her feel a strong sense of responsibility towards the health of mothers and infants and the reduction of maternal death.
Established in 1995, the Vietnam Association of Midwives has provided obstetric services for thousands of disadvantaged women living in remote areas. Phan Thi Hanh has successfully initiated a capacity-building project targeting grassroots level medical facilities, which has helped needy mothers access high-quality and free-of-charge services.
At the ceremony, Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Camilla Mellander stressed that the improvement of health care for mothers and infants benefits the society as a whole.
Thousands of midwives across the world have worked dedicatedly to save lives, making positive social changes, she said.
