The award acknowledges Ms Singh’s valuable contribution to health care for Vietnamese people, particularly mothers and children.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Ba Thuy affirmed that over the past 30 years, the UNFPA has made significant contributions to health care in Vietnam through activities in population, family planning and reproductive health.

During her tenure as UNFPA deputy chief representative in Vietnam since 2006, Ms Singh has helped strengthen relations between Vietnam and the UNFPA. She directly developed the “One UN” Initiative in Vietnam, worked closely with the country in successfully implementing the second phase of the Population and Reproductive Health Care Strategy in the 2001-2010 period to obtain socio-economic development targets.

She also took part in building a US$4 million- plan on reproductive health, population development and gender quality in Vietnam. She mobilised outside resources for other activities, such as safe mother programmes and medical policies for ethnic minority people.