Improving Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (ASRH) in Yen Bai Province

This final evaluation assesses the outcomes of the project “Improving Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (ASRH) in Yen Bai Province,” implemented from January 2023 to March 2025 by Save the Children Vietnam, with funding from Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. Targeting over 3,000 adolescents in the mountainous districts of Mu Cang Chai and Van Chan, the project aimed to improve knowledge, behaviors, and access to quality ASRH services among ethnic minority youth and their communities. Using a quasi-experimental, mixed-method approach, the evaluation examined the project’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, sustainability, and cross-cutting issues such as gender, inclusion, and safeguarding.

The project demonstrated high relevance, addressing urgent gaps in ASRH knowledge and service access, especially among H’mong and Thai ethnic groups. Effectiveness was evident through substantial knowledge improvements: ASRH knowledge among adolescents rose from 32.2% at baseline to 82.5% at endline, and among parents from 29.1% to 97.2%. Gender equality awareness also improved but lagged in certain subgroups. Adolescent-friendly health service points met quality standards, and 87.5% of adolescents reported improved access. The project was efficiently delivered on time and within budget, leveraging existing community structures. Its impact extended beyond knowledge gains, fostering confidence, reducing stigma, and contributing to declines in early marriage and home deliveries.

Sustainability prospects are promising, with ASRH integrated into Yen Bai’s 2025 health and education plans and strong community demand for continued activities. However, risks remain, including reliance on external funding, uneven local capacity, and linguistic barriers.

To enhance long-term impact and replicability, the evaluation recommends:

• Securing dedicated local government budgets to maintain and expand adolescent ASRH services.
• Scaling up training for commune-level health workers on adolescent-friendly counseling and gender-sensitive care.
• Institutionalizing ASRH & Gender Clubs in schools and linking them with youth unions and village-level stakeholders.
• Strengthening outreach to marginalized groups such as out-of-school youth, students with disabilities, and ethnic minorities through tailored communication strategies and translated materials.
• Integrating ASRH topics more consistently across school subjects (e.g., biology, civic education), with interactive and locally relevant content.
• Establishing multi-sectoral task forces at district level to coordinate ASRH implementation across health, education, and social services.
• Monitoring and evaluating service quality and adolescent satisfaction routinely to inform continuous improvement.

The evaluation concludes that the project delivered transformative changes in adolescent health and empowerment and offers a scalable model for improving ASRH in remote and underserved communities in Vietnam.