Life expectancy increases in Vietnam
HANOI - The average life expectancy of Vietnamese
people was 67.8 years in 2001, up from 65.2 years in 1995, representing a
rise of five months each year, according to a survey conducted by the
General Statistics Office in 2001.
The rise is attributed to an increase in per capita spending and better
healthcare services, the Vietnam News reported on Thursday.
Average monthly expenditure per person rose to 268,000 Vietnamese dong (17
US dollars) in the 2001-2002 period, up 28.1 percent from 1995.
Meanwhile, healthcare services in all localities have been much improved.
In 2001, Vietnam had 5.2 doctors per 10,000 people, up 60.7 percent from
1986 and higher than other regional countries such as Indonesia, Thailand
and Malaysia.
By 2001, the country had 836 state-owned hospitals and over 41, 000
private clinics, offering 24.4 beds to 10,000 people.
According to healthcare experts, Vietnamese people' life expectancy will
climb to 69.5 by 2007 if the same rate of progress is maintained.
Along with the rise in life expectancy, the mortality rate among children
dropped to 5.56 per 1,000 in 2001, down from 7.7 in the 1990-1994 period.
The survey also showed a sharp decrease in the mortality rate among
infants aged under one year, from more than 46 per 1,000 in 1984-1989
period to 36.7 in 2001.
Xinhua - October 30, 2003.
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