Viet Nam: Health Care in the Central Highlands Project

This health care project in Viet Nam was to support the implementation of a new government initiative—the Prime Minister’s Decision 139 that aimed to establish the Health Care Fund for the Poor (HCFP). It emphasized the capacity development of the provincial health departments for planning, financing, and managing health services.

The Central Highlands was chosen as the project site. It was one of Viet Nam’s poorest regions with relatively poor health indicators mainly due to inadequate access to quality and culturally compatible health services. Poor access was associated with (i) lack of skills among health care personnel, (ii) lack of public health care facilities, and (iii) limited affordability of health services. There was a great need to upgrade and strengthen health infrastructure and the skills of health care providers. Thus, significant capacity development was considered necessary to effectively implement Decision 139.

This report validates the completion report's assessment of the project. IED overall assessment: Successful.