The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #45967

Nguyen Thi MaiHuong, Population Council Office, Viet Nam, No.2 Dang Dung Street, Ha Noi, Vietnam, (84-4) 7161716/9, huong@popcouncil.org.vn and Tran Thi Phuong Mai, MCH/FP Department, Ministry of Health, Vietnam, 138A Giang Vo Street, Ha Noi, Vietnam.

A recent comprehensive program review and analysis of MCH/FP programs in Vietnam indicated that while the national family planning program proves to be very successful, there have been several problems in the area of maternal and neonatal health care. This review presented a wide range of problems such as: lack of baseline information on maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality; allocation of resources skewed toward family planning; lack of programmatic planning and technical guidance at national level, etc… In order to be able to systematically address these issues, the Ministry of Health initiated a process to formulate its first five-year national safe motherhood master plan. The formulation process followed the knowledge-based approach. Information used as inputs for formulation process were collected from a comprehensive program and literature review and a field assessment.

Experience from this process indicated that a knowledge-based strategic planning will: (a) significantly improve the public attention to the critical but neglected health issues, especially in country where certain program has long been a dominant; (b) increase the program coordination through a set of clearly identified needs and priorities. Lessons learnt from this process also showed that;(a) adequate financial allocation is critical for strategic planning which adapt the knowledge-based approach; (b) Government's management capacity will be enhanced through appropriate technical assistance.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn and share Vietnam's practical experiences on the achievements and challenges through the formulation process of its first national master plan on safe motherhood. Participants will be able to recognize the importance of strategic planning in enhancing national capacity and ownership of the program managers and experts and to assess the implications of this strategic planning on the health of mothers and children

Keywords: Maternal and Child Health,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.