VIET NAM: Overview
Current Projects | Publications
 Leading the way
In 1994, Pathfinder International became one of the first American NGOs to work in Viet Nam following the normalization of US-Viet Nam relations. As the Vietnamese government embarked on Doi moi, economic reforms to move toward a market economy, Pathfinder focused on partnering with the government to improve the quality and range of reproductive health services throughout the country.
Partnering to achieve change
Pathfinder currently implements a range of reproductive health projects in Viet Nam. These projects contribute to established nationwide priorities including the National Strategy on Reproductive Health Care, the National Action Plan on HIV/AIDS, and a range of national human resource policies for health professionals’ development. For each, Pathfinder combines innovation with systems-based approaches to promote sustainability. The projects have a particular focus on:
Remarkable progress, Continuing need
Since Pathfinder’s work began, Viet Nam has made remarkable progress in improving reproductive health in the country. With Pathfinder’s support, eight medical schools have improved their training curricula and approaches so that they are more skills-oriented, in-service training have been introduced into 16 project provinces, reproductive health services are dramatically improved in the public sector, and professional medical associations are becoming more vital actors in efforts to professionalize the private sector.
These changes, in conjunction with country’s rapid economic growth, high literacy among women, increased access to contraception, and a trend in delaying marriage have led to substantially reduced rates of maternal and child mortality. However, despite these successes, significant barriers to reproductive health still exist. Rapid economic growth has resulted in widening disparities in access to services and information. Key among these are the significant unmet needs of remote and ethnic minority communities, as well as the emerging challenges of a rapidly urbanizing society.
Current Projects in Viet Nam
The Reproductive Health Projects: A long-term initiative to improve reproductive health services available in two leading hospitals and the government’s reproductive health care network in 17 provinces.
Reproductive Health and HIV Integration Project: An innovative project to integrate HIV/AIDS prevention and referral services into the government’s reproductive health care network.
Reproductive Health Medical Education: Pathfinder collaborates with eight of Viet Nam’s medical universities to improve the quality of teaching through updating curricula and institutionalizing skills-oriented teaching and learning.
Enhancing the Private Sector’s Engagement in HIV/AIDS: A project designed to improve the quality and accessibility of HIV/AIDS prevention services to at-risk populations by building an effective partnership between the public and private sectors.
Capacity Building Project for Professional Medical Associations: This project supports the institutional development of four professional medical associations to become important resources in primary health care training.
Project to Support MOH to develop a Regulatory Framework for Licensing, Re-licensing and Continuing Medical Education: Pathfinder provides technical and coordination support to develop a new law which will contribute to improved service and training quality.
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Improving Quality of Reproductive Health Care - Viet Nam
