The three-phase project, which has an investment of US$85 million, including US$70 million in Japanese non-refundable aid, will be implemented in 13 cities and provinces in the region.

The project is aimed at increasing the quality of healthcare services, developing human resources, improving existing hospitals and clinics, and providing medical treatment for the poor.

Pilot programmes will be deployed at several localities in the first phase of the project, which lasts for 18 months.

The Mekong Delta is one of the three poorest regions in Vietnam. It has a total of 490,000 poor households, accounting for 17.5 percent of the country's total figure.