The South Asian country of Vietnam has experienced vast improvements in its quality of life over the years. Proof of these improvements is abundant. In 2016, the Happy Planet Index Report found that Vietnam was the happiest country in Asia. Life expectancy in Vietnam also reflects a positive trend in the quality of life for the country. Life expectancy stands at 75.5 years, which is especially impressive when considering the U.S. life expectancy of 77.3 years. These are only a few examples of the positive improvements in quality of life in Vietnam. Thanks to the efforts of the Vietnamese government and other supporters abroad, Vietnam has been able to make several other improvements.

3 Improvements in Vietnam

1. Better Health Care. One indicator of improving the quality of life in Vietnam is health care. The maternal mortality rate in Vietnam has reduced fourfold over recent years. The number of deaths among children younger than 5 has also reduced by half. Progress like this has become possible due to better access to reliable health care for Vietnamese people. However, work still needs to occur in many areas. For example, 100 children still die from preventable diseases every day in Vietnam. Fortunately, UNICEF is providing help to further improve health care and, as a result, improve the quality of life in Vietnam further. UNICEF provides its services to health care personnel throughout Vietnam so that they can provide better care to the Vietnamese people.
2. Better Education. A better education system is yet another way of improving the quality of life in Vietnam. The Vietnamese government achieves this through several methods. One is by holding Vietnamese teachers to a high standard. Teachers in Vietnam must display their skills and knowledge at the standard the country outlines. Teachers also need to display professionalism. The government of Vietnam takes inspiration from other Asian countries that have exceptional education systems. The education in Singapore and South Korea has especially influenced Vietnam’s school curriculum.
3. Decreasing Poverty for Minorities. One of the most important ways that the quality of life in Vietnam is improving is the reduced poverty rates among ethnic minorities. Much of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities live in the highland areas of Vietnam. These places are often rural, and about 72% of Vietnam’s low-income citizens reside there. Fortunately, the poverty rate for this group of people declined by 13% in 2018. Many solutions exist to help further improve the economic situation for the minorities living in the highland areas. One solution is for the ethnic minorities in the highlands to grow crops that will sell for more money than common crops. Many of the people living in the highlands already engage in farming, but they grow basic crops. Crops like coffee and rubber plants have higher monetary value, so farmers could start growing these.

All of these improvements help improve the quality of life in Vietnam in numerous ways. Better health care means longer lives for Vietnamese people, better education will lead to better job opportunities and alleviating poverty will improve living conditions among ethnic minorities.

– Jacob E. Lee
Photo: Flickr