The Prime Minister has approved investment policy for a health cooperation programme with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the fiscal year 2018-2019.

Taking care of patient at Bach Mai hospital in Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)

The programme, with financial support from the WHO, aims to help the Vietnamese Government tackle priority issues of the healthcare system in the long run as well as successfully implement its strategy on improving public health care in 2016-2020 with a vision for 2030, and a project on developing the grassroots healthcare network in 2016-2025.

In addition, the programme will strengthen the institutions and the provision of human resources, finance, pharmaceuticals and health care services to reduce household expenditure in the field while increasing the rate of doctors working at communal-level medical stations.

The scheme also targets stronger core capacity to carry out the International Health Regulations (IHR), readiness to cope with urgent health issues, and effective use of WHO’s financial support for Vietnam to improve public health.

Another goal of the programme is to reduce the risk of communicable and non-communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, tuberculosis, and malaria.

It will be managed by the Ministry of Health of Vietnam with non-refundable official development assistance (ODA) of over USD 21.1 million. Of the sum, USD 11.9 million is already available, another USD 9.1 million will be mobilised from different sources, and counterpart capital is VND 6.5 billion (USD 287,950)./.

VNF/VNA