PHSSR launched in Vietnam at British Ambassador’s Residence
The event was attended by British Ambassador Gareth Ward, Swedish Ambassador Ann Måwe, Dr. Lê Văn Khảm, Director of Health Insurance Department – Ministry of Health, Dr. Tran Thi Nhi Ha, Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Health, AstraZeneca Vietnam Chairman & General Director Nitin Kapoor, and more than 30 other healthcare experts and partners in the country.
Amongst the eight countries participating in the project’s pilot phase, Vietnam was selected as the only Asian country because of its unique health system experiences and expertise, including its effective COVID-19 response.
PHSSR’s Vietnam team is led by Dr. Tran Thi Mai Oanh, Director of Health Strategy and Policy Institute (HSPI), and will apply a new Framework developed by the LSE to conduct a rapid review of the country’s health system sustainability and resilience, and identify practical solutions to strengthen them for the benefits of Vietnamese people. Similar to other pilot countries’ reviews, the Vietnam report will home in on key factors that determine health system resilience and sustainability, such as:
- How health systems are led and governed
- How health systems are funded and financed
- The health and care workforce
- How health systems harness medicines and technology
- How health services are organised and delivered
Policy recommendations from the pilot phase will inform The Great Reset – an initiative by the World Economic Forum – and will be announced at its virtual event in January 2021.
“I am delighted that the UK and Vietnam are both part of the Partnership’s pilot phase, exchanging our knowledge and experience to enhance both countries’ health systems and be better prepared for future health crises. I am sure this meaningful initiative will have impact at both global and national levels, and look forward to further advancing UK-Vietnam health cooperation and bilateral relations.”
—Gareth Ward, British Ambassador to Vietnam
Three senior representatives of the founding partners also delivered a virtual presentation at the launch event. According to Professor Ali McGuire, Chair of Health Economics, Department of Health Policy at LSE, Mr. Arnaud Bernaert, Head of Shaping the Future of Health and Healthcare at the WEF, and Mr. Stefan Weber, Global Head of Policy at AstraZeneca, they hope that towards the end of this year, Vietnam can be amongst the first countries in the world to pioneer some of the solutions that will be identified.
“Difficult though it might be to imagine now, the day will arrive when COVID-19 will no longer be the world's principal health concern. Instead of focusing exclusively on bringing the pandemic under control, we need to build systems that are capable of responding to routine as well as unexpected challenges. We want to do this by breaking down the traditional barriers between academia, business and the public sector and creating a platform to disseminate breakthrough insights, and enable health systems to act upon them,”
“While this pandemic has been catastrophic, it also presents a brief window of opportunity to act. COVID-19 has generated unprecedented public awareness, and the political will to address global health issues. Vietnam’s decisive leadership and swift action in its pandemic response have been inspirational to the world. We look forward to collaborating closely with the Vietnamese government, Ministry of Health and the Health Strategy and Policy Institute, as well as other healthcare organisations and experts in the country, to maximise the project’s impact and increase local patients’ access to quality healthcare.”
—Mr. Nitin Kapoor