ADB to support Vietnam urban environment, rural healthcare

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Vietnamese government on Friday signed agreements on two loans and a non-refundable grant worth nearly 166 million U.S. dollars to improve the country's urban environment, climate resilient infrastructure and healthcare in rural area. The funding is expected to help increase the use of community health care services in five Central Highlands provinces of Dac Lac, Dac Nong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, and Lam Dong, as well as enhance access to livelihood and income opportunities for the poor in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) corridor towns, Vietnam's state- run news agency reported. At the signing ceremony, Tomoyuki Kimura, ADB country director for Vietnam, said the projects will help the Vietnamese government to address consequences of rapid urbanization, improve disaster response, climate resilience and environmental quality in urban areas, and also increase access to health services.