Global Health - Vietnam

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has partnered with the government of Vietnam (GVN) and local and international organizations since 1998 to build quality sustainable health systems to provide long-term public health impact and to protect the health of the Vietnamese people. CDC delivers technical expertise for evidenced-based decisions that strengthens the capacity and infrastructure of the national health systems in Vietnam, providing life-saving care and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS and preventing the spread of infectious diseases such as influenza and other health threats.

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Travelers’ Health Vietnam

 

CDC STAFF

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10 U.S. Assignees
51 Locally Employed
3 Contractors

AT A GLANCE

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Population: 94,348,835
Per capita income: $6,100
Life expectancy at birth: W 76/M 70 yrs
Infant mortality rate: 18/1,000 live births

TOP 10 CAUSES OF DEATH

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1. Cardiovascular Diseases
2. Neoplasms
3. Diabetes/Urological/Blood/Endocrine
4. Chronic Respiratory Diseases
5. Unintentional Injuries
6. Diarrheal Diseases
7. Neurological Disorders
8. HIV/AIDS & TB
9. Transport Injuries
10. Cirrhosis

Source: CIA World Factbook, 2015
Source: GBD Compare 2015: Vietnam

Why We're Here

CDC’s mission is to promote measurable, substantive public health advances in Vietnam and throughout the region.

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Where We Work

CDC-Vietnam addresses the region’s toughest health problems at their source.

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What We're Doing

CDC applies cutting edge solutions and technologies to reduce disease and protect health in challenging, underdeveloped places.

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Who We Are

Jobs and Volunteering

Impact in Vietnam

• Improved community-level early warning and emergency systems to detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks.
• Established two National Influenza Centers to rapidly detect flu viruses and support surveillance in 11 sentinel hospitals.
• Developed evidence base for vaccine policies and programs that support uptake of locally produced flu vaccines so as to strengthen demand and improve Vietnam’s preparedness for a pandemic.
• Trained 22 FETP fellows with handson scientific approaches to identifying the causes and responding to disease outbreaks.
• Trained more than 10,000 healthcare workers in clinical, laboratory, and public health management.
• During FY 2016, 55% of all new HIV cases were identified through PEPFAR-supported programs at CDC-supported sites in Vietnam.
• Provided HIV testing for 78% of people with TB, linking 89% of patients living with HIV to ART and TB preventive treatment. This led to a reduction in TB incidence and mortality in areas with high incidences.
• Seventeen of Vietnam’s 28 HIV and TB labs received international accreditation.
• Implementation of electronic lab information systems at 36 hospitals and HIV testing labs led to improved data quality and reporting.

-Data cumulative from 2006 or noted as current to date

Advancing Global Health Security Agenda

Ensuring that Vietnam can rapidly and effectively respond to outbreaks before they cross borders is critical to protecting the health of the global community, including Americans at home and abroad. Longstanding CDC programs in Vietnam have helped propel the country’s early successes with the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), which is an agreement among countries to improve the world’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats. Vietnam remains at the forefront of efforts to implement GHSA in partnership with CDC, strengthening critical core response capabilities in
areas such as emergency management, surveillance, laboratory capacity, and workforce development.

Developing Surveillance and Strategic Information Systems

CDC Vietnam supports the development and implementation of Vietnam’s surveillance systems to improve the collection and utilization of health data. These data help Vietnam to better understand the diseases affecting the country, inform policies, implement programs, and evaluate the effectiveness of health programs.

Additionally, CDC works with Vietnam to strengthen community-level early warning and emergency systems for infectious diseases. National-level public health emergency management has also improved through a network of three emergency operations centers. Collaboratively, CDC and its partners conduct surveillance at sites along Vietnam’s borders and in 60 live bird markets in 12 of the country’s provinces.

Implementing Evidence-Based Public Health Programs

CDC Vietnam provides technical assistance for evidence-based decisions to strengthen the quality and sustainability of health programs. To maximize public health impact, CDC Vietnam’s strategy targets populations and provinces most at risk for HIV, improves access to HIV testing, and strengthens links to immediate treatment and ongoing care. CDC Vietnam also focuses on health security through early reporting of disease outbreaks, better infection and prevention control practices (e.g., development of influenza vaccine policy for those populations most at risk), reducing illnesses and deaths due to antimicrobial resistance, and increasing biosafety and biosecurity practices.

Strengthening Laboratory Systems

CDC Vietnam strengthens the quality of laboratory management systems to accurately diagnose, monitor and treat infections from of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, influenza viruses, and other pathogens. Increased laboratory capacity allows for better detection of emerging pathogens, as well as the safer handling and transportation of specimens. CDC Vietnam facilitates collaboration between human and animal health laboratories, ensuring that both can detect novel influenza viruses with pandemic potential, including avian influenza A (H7N9) virus. Annually, approximately 3,000 specimens from hospitalized patients in
Vietnam are tested for influenza viruses. Influenza-virus negative specimens are also now tested for seven other viral respiratory pathogens, extending the value of this critical public health infrastructure.

Building Public Health Workforce Capacity

CDC Vietnam invests in building a strong workforce of future public health leaders through hands-on technical assistance, laboratory and surveillance training, and the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP).

Monitoring and Evaluating Activities

CDC Vietnam closely and regularly monitors and evaluates program activities for program impact, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Program evaluation data also improves program planning, policies, and quality.

Translating Research into Public Health Policy and Practice

CDC Vietnam focuses on providing immediate antiretroviral treatment, regardless of CD4 count, for people living with HIV, and enables access to viral load testing for those on treatment. It also establishes policies and guidelines to reduce the impact of antimicrobial resistance and strengthens biosafety and biosecurity practices, and comprehensive influenza vaccine policies.