Contribution to the Improvement of Health Services/Reproductive Health in Cao Bang & Son La

Project description

Title: Contribution to the Improvement of Health Services/Reproductive Health in Cao Bang & Son La
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
Lead executing agency: General Office for Population and Family Planning in the Ministry of Health (MoH) and its decentralized institutions in both provinces
Overall term: 2006 to 2010

Context

During the past decade Viet Nam has made impressive progress in the health sector. It now ranks among the region’s leading countries in terms of key indicators of the health system. However, some indicators show that quality assured primary health services are either inaccessible, inadequate or not used. HIV/AIDS continues to spread through unsafe sexual practices and intravenous drug use. Viet Nam still has a large number of disabled persons who have only limited access to adequate rehabilitative care. Malnutrition among children has improved substantially but remains very prevalent in poor areas. This is a clear indicator for imbalanced development in the social economy and a widening gap in health status between population groups.

Objective

The poor population of Cao Bang and Son La provinces shows improved health awareness by making greater use of health services, taking measures to prevent illness and disease, and participating in just and efficient health financing mechanisms.

Approach

The programme supports the implementation of Vietnamese strategies for poverty reduction, population development, family planning and quality improvement of primary health services as well as the establishment of national health insurance schemes in the selected provinces.

These efforts focus on the following main areas:

  • Access to health services in community centres and district hospitals is being improved.
  • The target population understands the advantages of health insurance schemes and participates in them.
  • The quality of health care in hospitals and community health centres is being improved and safeguarded.
  • Health promotion efforts to reduce the spread of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases are being intensified.
  • Measures to improve mother and child health care service as well as treatment of AIDS patients by state-run and non-governmental organisations must  become more effective.
  • Efforts are being fostered to educate the public in all issues of sexual and reproductive health as well as health insurance.

Results achieved so far

A client satisfaction survey in both provinces as well as a provider-client interaction survey showed substantial deficiencies in the quality and accessibility of the health services.

A comprehensive training needs analysis among health staff working in the communal health centres was done to identify and prioritise capacity development and “on the job training & supervision” activities in the areas reproductive health, family planning, safe motherhood, health insurance, HIV/AIDS and generic management skills. Based on the finding, the project implements for health staff of all community health centres training activities.

      Further information


      Contact


      Dr Anna Frisch
      Email: anna.frisch@giz.de