Introduction

Our main office is located in Hanoi, Viet Nam’s capital where we have a great team of technical, professional, specialist and administrative staff.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has been working side-by-side with the Government and development partners in Viet Nam for more than 50 years and has played a critical role in disease control and prevention.

The Organization has been at the forefront of numerous public health efforts, assisting the Government in the elimination of poliomyelitis and neonatal tetanus, devising strategies to combat public health threats and setting standards across a range of public health issues.

Today, WHO’s close partnership the Vietnamese Government remains stronger than ever – and we continue to formulate and implement health programmes and activities to bring about better health and a better quality of life for everyone in Viet Nam – particularly those most at risk.

The recent rapid social and economic development of Viet Nam makes the country a rewarding and exciting place to live and work. However, its diverse social, economic and geographical mix also poses particular challenges to public health.

Viet Nam’s health indices have improved substantially in recent years, but the country is now facing a host of relatively new health problems including Avian Influenza, which remains a serious public health threat despite intensive prevention and control efforts.

More than 15,000 people die from road accidents every year, the HIV/AIDS epidemic is escalating and the number of non-communicable or “lifestyle diseases” such as tobacco-related diseases, cancer, heart disease and diabetes has risen drastically in recent years. They now account for nearly half of all deaths.

Meanwhile, some communicable diseases continue to persist, such as tuberculosis (TB), dengue and parasitic diseases.

WHO is helping Viet Nam face these current health challenges and supporting its transition to a middle income country, by providing expertise, developing appropriate systems and tools and advocating policy change.

Although WHO has been “doing business” in Viet Nam for half-a-century our overall mission - to support Viet Nam in its quest to achieve the highest attainable level of health for its people – has not changed.