Capacity Building for Preparing and Responding to COVID-19 Pandemic in Border Provinces of Viet Nam

Duration: August 2021 – January 2022

Location: Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Dong Thap, An Giang, Tay Ninh

Donor/Funding source: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

Implementing partners: General Department of Preventative Medicine (GDPM), Ministry of Health, Provincial Departments of Health, Provincial Centres for Disease Control and frontline POE officials.

Objectives: To contribute to effective control of COVID-19 transmission in border areas by strengthening the capacity of frontline officials working at points of entry (POE) s in Vietnam.

Brief description of project:

Before the project started, Viet Nam faced the fourth wave of community transmissions of COVID-19 rapidly spreading across 36 provinces/municipalities including three major cities. There was an increasing number of people crossing land and sea borders to enter Viet Nam irregularly from neighbouring countries struggling with a surge of COVID-19 cases. 

According to provincial Departments of Health (DOH) and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), health care providers and frontline POE officials in five border provinces were facing a severe shortage of necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) and facilities.

IOM implemented this project to provide technical expertise and assistance to support frontline POE officials and health care providers at designated hospitals for COVID-19 cases as well as district hospitals and commune health centres in five border provinces to better prepare and respond to the potential cross-border transmission of COVID-19 from neighbouring countries.

Project activities and its impacts:

The project activities included donating needed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other essential supplies to frontline POE officials and health-care providers; providing training on COVID-19 prevention and safe migration in parnership with GDPM and provincial CDCs; and disseminating Information Education and Communication materials in all POEs under the project.

The project was able to address the immediate needs of frontline POE officials and relevant health authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the macro level, the project is also linked with regional and global health initiatives such as the Greater Mekong Subregion Health Security Initiatives and International Health Regulations.