Are piped water services reaching poor households? Empirical evidence from rural Viet Nam.

The delivery of water services to the poor is lagging, yet local causes and manifestations of this are not well understood. Better data is needed to identify inequalities where they occur, explore underlying reasons, and develop strategies to achieve more equitable access. A focus on the local scale is important because this is where water services are delivered, and inequalities in access can be best observed. This paper presents a mixed-methods study of poor households' access to piped water in rural Viet Nam, providing insight into local dynamics of the water/poverty nexus. Findings pointed to lower rates of piped water access for poor households across areas served by government, private and community service providers. Connection fees were found to be the primary barrier to poor households accessing available piped services. The study also found that where financial support is provided, poor households can achieve comparable or even higher rates of access. Key implications of the study are the demonstrated value of, and yet challenges associated with, rigorous local-level monitoring to ensure equitable, quality service delivery.

An exploration of how perceptions of the risk of avian influenza in poultry relate to urbanization in Vietnam.

This research examined how perceptions of outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) subtype H5N1 in poultry are related to urbanization. Via in-depth interviews with village leaders, household farmers, and large farm operators in modern, transitional, and traditional communes in the north of Vietnam, we explored behaviors, attitudes, cultural values, and traditions that might amplify or attenuate HPAI outbreaks. We also explored conceptualizations of urbanization and its impacts on animal husbandry and disease outbreaks. Qualitative theme analyses identified the key impacts, factors related to HPAI outbreaks, and disease prevention and management strategies. The analyses also highlighted how urbanization improves some aspects of life (e.g., food security, family wealth and health, more employment opportunities, and improved infrastructure), but simultaneously poses significant challenges for poultry farming and disease management. Awareness of qualitative aspects of HPAI risk perceptions and behaviors and how they vary with urbanization processes may help to improve the prevention and management of emerging infectious diseases.