Vietnam and Denmark launch phase 3 of the health cooperation program

On June 23, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong and Dr. Jonas Egebart - Director of the Danish Health Authority had an official meeting, marking the launch of Phase 3 of the Vietnam-Denmark health partnership, thereby reaffirming the common commitment to promoting healthy lives and well-being for all people.

The partnership prioritizes strengthening primary health care and improving the management of non-communicable diseases as Vietnam implements important health and administrative reforms.

In phase 3, the Danish Health Agency will support Vietnam in transforming its health system in the context of changing disease patterns, with a continued focus on strengthening primary health care to cope with the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Phase 3 of the Vietnam-Denmark Strategic Health Partnership begins at a pivotal time when Vietnam is undertaking extensive restructuring at many levels of state administration, including the health sector. The 2007 administrative restructuring in Denmark has comprehensively transformed the health care political -administrative system, by reducing the number of regional and local administrative units and transferring responsibility for prevention and rehabilitation from regional to local governments.

Building on this foundation, Denmark has recently initiated a new reform process aimed at strengthening the scope of general practice, local preventive medicine and integration of health services.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong at the working session. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

“Vietnam is undergoing a major and ambitious transformation of its public administration, including in the health sector,” said the Director General of the Danish Health Agency. “Denmark has been on this path for many years and is ready to share with Vietnam the experience and policy insights we have gained from past and ongoing restructuring. Strengthening primary health care and investing in preventive health care not only makes economic sense, but also helps build healthier and more resilient populations.”

Vietnam is reshaping its primary health care system to better serve its people as it faces a rapidly aging population, changing disease burden, and rising public expectations fueled by economic growth.

Phase 3 of the Health Sector Strategic Partnership builds on the results and joint efforts from the previous phases, which began in 2016 when the health partnership between the two countries was established. Phase 3 focuses on strengthening policy frameworks, supporting integrated care models, and enhancing local capacity in the prevention, detection, and management of non-communicable diseases.

In this new phase of cooperation, Denmark focuses on strengthening cooperation and sharing professional experience. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

Danish Ambassador Nicolai Prytz added that Denmark is proud to be a trusted partner of Vietnam. In this new phase of cooperation, Denmark focuses on strengthening cooperation and sharing Danish expertise in governance reform, health system strengthening, life sciences and healthcare. This phase comes at a critical reform time and can support Vietnam in shaping and implementing important policy initiatives in disease prevention and primary health care - key pillars of long-term health reform and in line with Vietnam's ambitious development goals.

During the visit, the Director General of the Danish Health Agency met and discussed with the Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Health priorities in primary health care, management of non-communicable diseases as well as promoting the ambition to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the health sector in the context of ongoing health sector reforms.

The Director General of the Danish Health Authority also delivered an important speech at the High-Level Roundtable on Health Systems in Transition, co-organized by the Embassy of Denmark and the World Health Organization (WHO) Vietnam. At the event, representatives of the leaders of units under the Ministry of Health and relevant partners conducted a strategic dialogue on how to strengthen Vietnam's health system to adapt to changes in people's health care needs and prepare for future challenges. The dialogue focused on international and domestic experiences, especially the long-term reform experiences of the Danish health sector./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/viet-nam-va-dan-mach-khoi-dong-giai-doan-3-chuong-trinh-hop-tac-y-te-post1045915.vnp