Bac Kan improves living conditions for ethnic minorities
Authorities of the northern mountainous province of Bac Kan have devised a range of measures to improve spiritual and material lives of locals from ethnic minority groups.
Bac Kan (VNA) – Authorities of thenorthern mountainous province of Bac Kan have devised a range of measures toimprove spiritual and material lives of locals from ethnic minority groups,thus narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor as well as between geographicareas.
This is part of efforts to realising millenniumdevelopment goals (MDGs) in ethnic minority areas.
The locality targets to reduce the rate of poorhouseholds in ethnic minority areas by 2-2.5 percent/year, and bring hygienewater to over 30 percent of the total ethnic households by 2020.
It aims the literacy rate of ethnic people aged 10years and older at 95 percent, and the proportion of commune-level female staffat over 30 percent while the rate of primary school enrollment at the right ageof 95 percent.
To realise the goals, Bac Kan will focus on promotingpoverty reduction through outlining programmes and specific policies,especially in social welfare, health care, education, towards implementing andsustainably maintaining MDGs for ethnic minority areas.
Additional, the province will call for technical andfinancial assistances from the community, and domestic and internationalorganisations, while intensifying communication campaigns to raise publicawareness of the significance of implementing MDGs for ethnic minority groups.
Nong Van Lung, head of the provincial Committee forEthnic Affairs said in 2011-2015, said by implementing ethnic policies sourcedfrom the State budget, the living standards of ethnic minority people were significantimproved.
The rate of poor ethnic households declined throughyears, and they have been gained access to basic health care services, providedwith free check-ups, Lung said.
Attention was also paid to preserving culturalidentity of local ethnic minority groups, and implementing the Government’sProgramme 135, which is a national programme for socio-economic development inthe most disadvantaged communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.
Bac Kan is home to seven ethnic groups namely Tay,Nung, Kinh, Dao, Mong, Hoa and San Chay, with over 80 percent of those is theethnic minority people.
The rate of poor households in the locality stillremains high, accounting for 29.4 percent of the locality’s population.-VNA
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Illustrative image (Source: Internet) 
