Public works project

/ December 16, 2020

USAID-funded project helps Vietnam combat HIV/AIDS, TB

The project is being launched with the aim of strengthening the Government’s capacity to sustainably manage HIV and tuberculosis (TB) programmes, thereby moving towards the goal of achieving the country’s commitment to end HIV and TB by 2030. Through the LHSS Vietnam project, USAID will continue working alongside the Government to strengthen public financial management systems for the local health sector and find greater efficiencies in terms of social health insurance. In addition, the scheme will increase and improve the efficiency of domestic financing of HIV prevention and treatment services, whilst strengthening the capacity of local supply chain management systems, and integrating TB services into social health insurance. Addressing the launching ceremony, USAID Vietnam director Ann Marie Yastishock congratulated the Government and the Ministry of Health on the successful transition of their HIV response from donor to domestic funding, with Social Health Insurance (SHI) now becoming the primary financing mechanism. “Vietnam now has 90% of HIV patients enrolled in SHI. All treatment facilities can now be reimbursed for HIV services. Most importantly, SHI funds are now used to procure anti-retroviral drugs, the most expensive component of an HIV response. This is a remarkable trajectory of success and one we are all proud to share with Vietnam. USAID, through PEPFAR, has supported the Government in updating policies and building systems that would support this transition,” she added. LHSS Vietnam represents a four-year project that will run until 2024 and comes with a planned budget of US$13.9 million which is funded by the United States Government through PEPFAR and USAID. It is part of USAID’s global initiative in terms of strengthening integrated health systems to help low- and middle-income countries transition to sustainable and self-financed health systems to support access to universal health coverage. …

/ March 5, 2021

Work on two North-South expressway sections to start in June

Work on two North-South expressway sections to start in June The Saigon Times The HCMC-Trung Luong Expressway, part of the Eastern North-South Expressway, is opened to traffic. Work on the National Highway 45-Nghi Son and Nghi Son-Dien Chau sections will begin in June – PHOTO: LE ANH HCMC – The investment procedures for the National Highway 45-Nghi Son and Nghi Son-Dien Chau sections of the North-South expressway projects are being completed so that work on these two sections will begin in June this year. On March 4, Nguyen Duy Lam, head of the Transport Engineering Construction and Quality Management Bureau under the Ministry of Transport, said after the Government issued resolutions to transfer the two subprojects from the public-private-partnership model to the public investment model, the bureau started appraising the adjusted investment in the subprojects and choosing contractors and technical designers. The feasibility studies, technical designs and adjusted investment for the two subprojects are expected to be approved by the Ministry of Transport this month, the Vietnam News Agency reported. The ministry has asked the subprojects’ management boards to hold public and transparent tenders to select capable and experienced contractors. In addition, the management boards of the two subprojects must issue working regulations for the bidding teams to ensure information security and prevent fraud. Directors of the management boards must take direct responsibility for the progress and quality of the subprojects. The ministry has coordinated with the Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces to accelerate the site clearance work, complete resettlement areas and relocate infrastructure facilities to hand over the site for the subprojects to contractors as early as possible. In 2020, the Ministry of Transport held tenders to choose investors for the two subprojects but in vain. The National Assembly Standing Committee later decided to transfer them …

/ November 6, 2020

Vietnam Social Security, USAID strive for sustainable health system

The agreement will witness USAID provide technical assistance to the Vietnam Social Security in order to help them carry out their sustainable health system development project, with the ultimate aim to accelerate the implementation of the health insurance policy over the coming four years. The project will therefore support the country’s transition to full financial autonomy for the HIV and Tuberculosis (TB) Program. USAID will provide support for Vietnam Social Security across three main areas, including implementing health insurance policies, planning in terms of financial management, along with controlling and ensuring the rationality of costs for health services through statistical analysis of insurance and funding sources. This assistance will take place along with building tools to track and monitor health insurance claims whilst renovating payment methods. The agency will also exchange information, share their experience, and support Vietnam Social Security in applying information technology to health insurance policy implementation. During the signing ceremony, Yastishock expressed her appreciation for the close partnership with Vietnam Social Insurance, affirming that her organisation will continue working on improving the financial management and governance capacity of Vietnam Social Insurance. The two sides will work together in order to achieve an effective, fair, and responsible management of the health insurance fund. The signing of this MoU therefore reinforces USAID's commitment to supporting Vietnamese efforts on its journey towards enjoying autonomy with regard to health financing, along with building a sustainable health system. This will ultimately contribute to the nation’s goal of reaching universal health coverage, according to Yastishock. In response, Son emphasised that the MoU signed between Vietnam Social Security and USAID represents the first document officially signed between the two sides, while highlighting the signing as a …