Vietnam  is a beautiful country with a tumultuous past filled with colonialism and warfare.  Vietnam benefits from a lush tropical climate and coastal border which makes for diverse scenery.  However, the land is now feeling the pressures of its burgeoning population. Only 20.14 percent of Vietnamese land is arable, leaving no choice for the population but to exercise more  pressure on the land in order to feed the 13th largest population in the world.

Vietnam stopped receiving funding from the Soviet Block with fall of the USSR and is now struggling to rebuild while facing the hardships of the global recession with the rest of the world.  These economic woes have caused 6.4 percent of citizens to be unemployed. Currently, 12.1 percent of families live under the poverty line.

New economic and social pressures Vietnam, coupled with a outdated infrastructure, have lead to a lack of basic medical services. Vietnam is in a country highly susceptible to the spread of infectious diseases, especially waterborne illnesses and medical care and public health should be a priority. Most Vietnamese citizens do not regularly go to hospitals, but instead only seek medical treatment when absolutely necessary, making prevention and early detection nearly impossible.

Most Vietnamese citizens stand to benefit from a higher standard of living, especially improved heath care, education, and economic stimulation.  These are the areas Wellness Global Foundation seeks to improve with their medical, educational and social initiatives.

· all facts and background come from the CIA world fact book