Health Strategy and Policy Institute, Vietnam

'Strengthening Evidence-Informed Health Policy in Vietnam’

The partnership between the Health Strategy and Policy Institute (HSPI), Vietnam, and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) commenced in June 2009 and is funded by AusAID until the end of 2012. Plans are in place to broaden and extend the Partnership beyond this and into a next phase of collaboration.

The Partnership aims to strengthen research capacity in Vietnam, improve the evidence base for policy formulation and development, and support the “translation” of research into strategic policy processes to better meet health challenges within Vietnam.  Partnership activities have included an institutional analysis and development of a program of training courses to enhance and consolidate the skills of researchers, and develop systems to improve the research-policy interface, at HSPI.

Training activities undertaken

  • Health policy and policy briefs - Focused on Hospital Autonomy, Hospital Overload and Alcohol Policy development
  • Advanced Health System Research methodology
  • Systematic Reviews
  • Policy writing
  • Realist reviews
  • Qualitative research methods and analysis
  • Writers workshop - Developing papers for publication on: ‘Public Private Partnerships’ and ‘Hospital Overcrowding in Vietnam’
  • Policy analysis
  • Communication and advocacy for policy
  • Policy implementation and evaluation

Research collaboration:

  • Policy analysis
  • Equity and health system development
  • Primary health care
  • Human Resources

Emerging issues for collaboration:

  • Social determinants of health and the promotion of health equity
  • Health-promoting social policy; multi-sectoral engagement by government ministries to promote and secure health benefits
  • Emerging health problems – NCDs, understanding the policy process in Vietnam
  • Ongoing analysis of the evolving Vietnamese health system and the challenges it faces – human resource issues, managing the public-private interface, equity

Key UNSW contacts
Prof. Anthony Zwi – a.zwi@unsw.edu.au
Jessica McGowan (Project Officer) – jessica.mcgowan@unsw.edu.au

For further information on HSPI
Website: http://www.hspi.org.vn/vcl/en/home/index.jsp