The Health Strategy and Policy Institute, in cooperation with the Legislation Department, Ministry of Health, conducted this evaluation of 18-year of implementing of the law on examination and treatment (since the Law on People’s Health Protection and Care was in effect from 1989 to 2008) in Vietnam to collect evidence for legislative drafting and identify gaps in the existing regulatory system to recommend inputs for the Project: Law on Medical service delivery with a view to achieving fair treatment between the public and private sector and equity in health protection, care and promotion for the people.

The Pharmaceutical Law enacted on June 14, 2005 provides a major legal framework for public governance in pharmaceutical sector. Six years after implementation, the Pharmaceutical Law has proved up to par in meeting existing needs, strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of pharmaceutical governance, and safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the population for access to quality, rational and safe drugs. The introduction of the Pharmaceutical Law enables the pharmaceutical sector in Vietnam to develop and play a better part in the region and the world. The implementing process of the Pharmaceutical Law and its sub-law documents, however, reveals various gaps and challenges. There is a real need for changes and updates of the 2005 Pharmaceutical Law to help negotiate with emerging social relations in the field of pharmacy, as well as revision and replacement of any regulatory schemes that are no longer relevant to the current needs and international treaties that Vietnam is a party to. The amendment of the law needs to base on objective and comprehensive review of the enforcement process and impacts of the Pharmaceutical Law 6 years after it was first introduced.

On Sep. 7, 2009, the central Party Secretariat released Directive 38-CT/TW on “Strengthening health insurance in the new context” aiming to enhance enforcement of the HI Law in practice and contribute to social security and equity in health care. To provide a timely interim review of the success story and to find challenges and drawbacks as the Directive is translated to real life, to come up with ways to further improve performance and enforcement in the immediate future, a review of the “Two years of implementing the Party Secretariat’s Directive 38-CT/TW on strengthening health insurance in the new context” is needed.

Formulation and operation of a hospital-based dietary nutrition network is necessary to improve the quality of care, cut down length of hospital stay, and help relieve the overcrowding situation at hospitals, especially central facilities. Having in place a hospital-based dietary nutrition network is also one of the key components of the draft action plan for 2011-2015 of the National nutrition strategy and Child malnutrition control project. To provide recommendations for the formulation and operation of this network, the Health Strategy and Policy Institute conducted a study on “Patients’ nutrition care needs and responsiveness of central hospitals”.

Primary level of care (including district and commune health) plays a vital role in the health system, being the first line provider of essential health services to the community. With this role, the commune health station (CHS) has the main function and mandate of providing primary medical care, disease and epidemic control, maternal-child health care and implementation of various targeted health programs. This study is conducted aiming at assessing the performance of select mountainous commune health centers in fulfilling their functions and tasks; assessing commune health centers’ ability to meet PHC needs in the new context, thereby recommend ways to improve the effectiveness of mountainous commune health stations.

The Health Systems 20/20 project in collaboration with the Health Strategy and Policy Institute recently conducted a sub-national health systems assessment in 6 provinces in Vietnam, complemented by a review of multiple national assessments done recently. The study results showed strong government involvement in monitoring health service providers. Community institutions and civil society also play important roles in oversight of health service quality. All public health care facilities in Hanoi and in the 5 provinces are implementing the hospital autonomy policy. The policy encourages hospitals to provide new health care services, install new equipment, and increase patients’ access to health services.

In the context of Vietnam’s current public– private mix health system, enhancing the coordination between public and private sector in providing health care services towards equity, efficiency and development has become a priority in health policy making. Doing research on and proposing evidence based relevant and effective Public Private Partnership (PPP) models is significant. Health Strategy and Policy Institute was assigned to conduct “Study on current situation assessment and recommended solutions to strengthening public-private partnership in Vietnam health sector” from May – December 2010 in coordination with Department of Planning – Finance under the support of Rockefeller Foundation in Vietnam.

The dangerous diseases pattern in the world has been experiencing great changes. Previously controlled epidemics have re-emerged with more severity. It has created favorable conditions for international and dangerous epidemics to penetrate in Vietnam and vice versa. Health quarantine aims at proactively prevent and limit epidemic trespassing, spreading and ensure national security, health care for the people. In general, this is an important duty, which becomes more urgent to contribute confirming that Vietnam is a safe destination for tourism, investment and economic development in the region and the world.