Within the cooperation framework with UNICEF to implement the program on Child Survival and Development (CDS), the Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) – stakeholders related to areas of malnutrition prevention, safe water and sanitation, child accident and injury prevention – have carried out information – education – communication (IEC) activities, behavioral change communication (BCC) and policy advocacy for child survival and development. Improving the program quality and integrating activity results into each area as well as among CDS areas require full competence by stakeholders, especially in planning, organization for implementation, and monitoring communication programs. Therefore, stakeholder capacity assessment is needed to recommend improvement solutions.

On Mar. 25, 2010, the government endorsed Project 32/2010/QĐ-TTg on “Development of social work profession for 2010-2020”. On July 15, 2011, the Ministry of Health further approved the “Development of social work profession in the health sector for 2011-2020” Project, aiming to formulate and develop social work as an occupation in the health sector to help improve the quality and efficacy of people’s health protection, care and development. This study seeks to explore the status and development need for the social work (SW) profession in medical practices and recommend human resources development plan for this specialized field in the near future.

Health workforce if one of the six most essential and vital components of health system, of which, human resources are invariable considered the core of the entire system. Challenges in health human resources development are the common challenges to the health system of all countries in the world, especially developing countries. The World Health Organization have summarized the key issues of health human resources development that the Western Pacific is facing: Imbalanced human resources allocation, imbalanced human resources allocation by qualifications and competence, lack of strict quality control, incomplete and irrational regulatory framework on human resources, lack of effective leadership and management. In the context of socioeconomic development toward a market economy in Vietnam, the local health system is also encountering similar challenges, where guaranteeing and maintaining quality human resources in rural areas and for the primary health care network is a major challenge and one of the top priorities of the health system in Vietnam. Reports of the Ministry of Health and recent literature on health human resources have also reflected the health workforce deficiency in rural areas, in terms of number, structure and quality of health workers, in which, a common problem in rural areas is the inability to recruit new health workers to compensate for the retired, leaving or relocating staff. This review will concentrate on factors influencing recruitment, maintenance and development of human resources for the primary health care service network in rural mountainous areas, focusing on managers and hands-on curative and preventive health workers at the population level.

Objectives 1. Describing the current situation and utilization needs of medical doctors and university level nurses; 2. Describing the procedures to recruit and utilize medical doctors and university level nurses after graduation in some health facilities; analyzing factors influencing the recruitment, utilization and maintenance of medical doctors and university level nurses by health facilities; 3. Describing the job finding process by medical doctors and university level nurses after graduation in 2005-2007 in some medical universities; 4. Analyzing factors that impact on the job finding process by medical doctors and university level nurses. The study was carried out in six provinces of Lao Cai, Thai Nguyen, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Dak Lak and Kien Giang. The audience includes health policy makers at central and provincial levels, health human resources employers at local level – being managers of health facilities at provincial, district and commune levels, as well as medical doctors and university level nurses graduated in 2005-2008.

In the past years, many legal documents on allowances for health staff like hardship, mobility, danger, professional responsibility, unique career, preferential and others were enacted, mainly in 1993 – 1994 and revised in 2003 and 2004. After years of implementation, these policies have shown limitations and obstacles that need revision and supplement. Laborers in the health sector are unique with high working pressure due to direct contact with patients, infectious diseases as well as toxic chemicals and radioactive substances. The above features require relevant incentive policies to encourage health care professionals to love their job, contribute to maintain health personnel at grassroots level in rural areas, prevention network and health facilities, which provide treatment for social diseases and dangerous epidemics. The Politburo also direct: “allow appropriate allowance scheme for healthcare professionals (in immediate future, similar to teachers) by region, areas and sub-sectors that may cause hardship and risks to health of healthcare personnel.” In such context, the Department of Organization and Manpower (DOM) and Health Strategy and Policy Institute (HSPI) jointly conduct the study: “Analysis of current situation and recommend revision to some allowance schemes for government permanent staff and employees in the health sector”.

The Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI) started implementation in Vietnam in 1981. In 1985, EPI was strengthened and carried out throughout the country. Since 1986, EPI has been considered as one of the priority national health program. In 1990, 87% of infant nationwide were fully vaccinated against 6 diseases (tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio and measles). To date Vietnam has eliminated polio and newborn tetanus. Whooping cough morbidity falls by 183 times, diphtheria 82 times and measles by 572 times. With result achieved by EPI, Vietnam has been recognized as one of the most successful country in this area. However, EPI stills has limitations and is confronting challenges. The quality of immunization has been recently paid special attention by the health sector. Many comments on immunization quality and safety, and causes have been mentioned after some recent post-vaccination complications. The workshop ”Improving the immunization quality and practice” was organized in Hochiminh city on 15 June 2007 to discuss immunization safety. Of the causes mentioned, human resources, namely the staff directly involved in delivering immunization services at commune level is considered as one of the key factors in immunization safety. Therefore, information on knowledge and skills of immunization personnel is essential to the training on EPI knowledge and skills, thereby improving the program quality. However to date there is no study on EPI personnel and the association of immunization quality and immunization service providers. From the above fact, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) and Health Strategy and Policy Institute (HSPI) jointly carry out the study on Current situation assessment of human resources in Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI).

Objectives: 1.Evaluate the implementation of the state policy of sending doctors to work at commune health centers;; 2. Identify preconditions to effectively materialize the state policy of sending doctors to the commune; 3.Make policy recommendations to meet the requirements for effectively materializing the state policy of sending doctors to the commune.

In the past years, many legal documents on allowances for health staff like hardship, mobility, danger, professional responsibility, unique career, preferential and others were enacted, mainly in 1993 – 1994 and revised in 2003 and 2004. After years of implementation, these policies have shown limitations and obstacles that need revision and supplement. Laborers in the health sector are unique with high working pressure due to direct contact with patients, infectious diseases as well as toxic chemicals and radioactive substances. The above features require relevant incentive policies to encourage health care professionals to love their job, contribute to maintain health personnel at grassroots level in rural areas, prevention network and health facilities, which provide treatment for social diseases and dangerous epidemics. The Politburo also direct: “allow appropriate allowance scheme for healthcare professionals (in immediate future, similar to teachers) by region, areas and sub-sectors that may cause hardship and risks to health of healthcare personnel.” In such context, the Department of Organization and Manpower (DOM) and Health Strategy and Policy Institute (HSPI) jointly conduct the study: “Analysis of current situation and recommend revision to some allowance schemes for government permanent staff and employees in the health sector”.