Documentation for the Workshop / Country Papers : Viet Nam

Survey and census sources of national disability data

Country: Viet Name

1. Overview of survey or census

Title of survey: Viet Nam Child Disability Survey 1998
Date of latest data collected: June 1998 - February 1999
Periodicity of survey: ad hoc
Contact institution: Dr. (Mr.) Truong Van Phuc, First Deputy Director, Center for information and Statistics on Labour and Social Affairs, Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), Office address: 2 Dinh Le St. Ha Noi, Viet Nam, Tel. No.: 84-4-8241031, fax: 84-4-8241005

2. Brief summary of survey or census

What information on disability is conducted: Prevalence and types of child disability, the causes of child disability, the socio-demographic characteristics of children with disabilities (CWDs), and the patterns of utilization of rehabilitation services and the social and economic circumstances of CWDs. The patterns and norms of government and community support for functional rehabilitation, education, vocational training, and job opportunities for CWDs, and their level of integration in daily life in the community were also assessed in the survey.
The data collected are used for policy formulation, program planning and decision making for rehabilitation services, and for the evaluation of disability programs' impact on the lives of CWDs and their integration in community life. The information is needed to plan training for teachers in special education, inclusive education, and vocational training programs, and to train social workers, physical therapists, speech therapists, orthopedic specialists, other medical and psychiatric specialists, prosthetics and esthetics workshop technicians, and community-based rehabilitative workers. The information is also used to determine whether the current supply of rehabilitative devices (e.g. hearing aids, outhouses, wheelchairs, special glasses, prosthetics, etc.) is sufficient to meet the demand for these devices.
These users were involved in deciding what information to collect.
The definition of CWDs applied to the survey corresponds to the definition of disable people in the State Law on Disable Persons, which was approved in July 1998 by the National Assembly of Viet Nam and which became effective on November 1, 1998:
"Disable children are those aged 0-17 who lack one or some body parts or functions in various types of disability preventing action or weakening action of working, living, studying".

3. Scope of survey or census

The survey covers children with disabilities aged 0-17

4. Coverage and sampling

Coverage of the survey:
Survey sample includes 1,148 CWDs living in households in 16 provinces/cities covering all eight economic regions of the country and 230 CWDs living in eight institutions.
Sampling frame and sampling:
In the community-based survey, a three-stage stratified random sampling procedure was used to produce representative estimates of the prevalence of child disability for the eight regions, for urban and rural areas and for the country.
First stage: The whole country was divided into 8 regions.
Second stage: 16 provinces/cities were randomly selected from the 8 regions: two provinces/cities from each region. The selected provinces/cities then were divided into rural and urban areas: rural communes and urban wards and a sample of rural communes and urban wards were selected for each province/city.
Last stage: Clusters of households were randomly selected from the selected communes and wards.
Sample size:
From 16 provinces/cities 96 household clusters were selected (survey sites), including 48 rural clusters and 48 urban clusters. For urban chosen clusters, 12,480 households were selected. For rural chosen clusters, 10,560 households were selected. This brings a total of 23,040 households, which gives 1,148 CWDs aged 0-17.

5. Are there other data sources which you use to benchmark your survey results? (e.g. previous surveys to compare with? what evaluations did you make of the results?)

There are no other data sources before the survey.

6. Response and non-response

7. Data collection (Attach or mail us a copy of your questionnaire)

Face-to-face interviews were applied
Type of respondents: CWDs. For younger children and some severely CWDs the parents or other family members were interviewed.

8. Measurement error

A pilot test of the questionnaires was conducted. Two-level trainings were conducted: Training of trainers at central level and enumerators training at provinces/cities.

9. Highlights of the strengths and limitations of survey or census Strengths: (e.g. a very detailed survey; sound sample design; use of international standard concept and classifications, etc.)

10. List published sources on disability statistics

Administrative sources of national disability data

Country: Viet Nam

1. Overview of administrative sources:

e. In Viet Nam the administrative report system on disabled people has been applied. The ministry responsible for it is Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA).

f. The purpose of the system is to collect information on number of disable people by type of disability in order to protect and take care of them in accordance with the Viet Nam 1998 State Law for People with disabilities.

g. This report system has been updated annually since 2001

2. Brief summary of the system

a. Number of disable people by type of disabilities.

b. The data collected are used by the People Committee at commune, district, and provincial levels and MOLISA in order to protect and take care of them. This is a task required in the Viet Nam 1998 State Law for People with disabilities.

c. These users were involved in deciding what information to collect.

d. The definition of disability: Disable people are those who lack one or some body parts or functions in various types of disability preventing action or weakening action of working, living, studying

e. This definition is consistent with the definition of the above-mentioned survey.

3. Coverage

b. The report system covers the whole country

c. In principle the coverage of the system is completed because Commune People Committee which is the lowest level of administration of Viet Nam is responsible for collecting information on all disable people in the commune.

d. Manner of updating the system is paper form sent to Commune People Committees every year.

4. Some of the strengths and limitations of the report system:

a. Strengths: Cheap

b. Limitations: Some provinces reported late. Contents of information are poorer than surveys. Data accuracy is limited

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