The Health Partnership Group (HPG) Meeting on IHP+ Monitoring Round 2016 Result Dissemination and Next Steps was held in Hanoi, on August 03, 2017.The Meeting aimed at presenting the key findings from the 2016 IHP+ monitoring round for the 08 effective development cooperation (EDC) practices; and to identifying and agreeing on actions and responsibility and timeframe for the implementation to improve EDC practices and accountability.

The meeting was chaired by Assoc. Prof. Tran ThiGiangHuong, International Cooperation Department (ICD) General Director of the Ministry of Health (MOH); and by Dr. Momoe Takeuchi, Health Systems Development Coordinator of theWorld Health Organization (WHO) Viet Nam Country Office. The following is the full text of the opening remarks delivered by Dr. Takeuchi.

Associate Professor Dr Tran ThiGiangHuong, Madame Nguyen Thi Minh Chau, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen.

It is my honour to co-chair this special HPG meeting to disseminate the findings of the 2016 IHP+ monitoring exercise and to discuss an action plan to facilitate our collective efforts to strengthen Viet Nam’s health system.

In the second half of 2016, the Government and its development partners participated in the IHP+ monitoring exercise for the second time. ICD (and the national consultant Dr Nguyen ThanhHuong) did a terrific job coordinating this exercise and even engaged the private sector in this exercise for the very first time.

The findings of the monitoring survey show that Viet Nam has progressed in some areas since the 2014 exercise. At the same time, they highlight some challenges in the implementation of ‘effective development cooperation behaviours’ and in certain instances, the need for action beyond one ministry and beyond the country level to resolve them.

However, the HPG is committed to effective development cooperation in the health sector. This is evidenced both by our close and ongoing collaboration in implementing the Viet Nam Health Partnership Document, and by the broad presence of the Government and various stakeholders here today.

Our working sessions this morning will offer us the opportunity to define concrete steps that will pave the way to making development cooperation in the health sector more effective. 

As the HPG, we continue to see a number of donors and partners withdrawing, or shifting their health sector support away from traditional forms of funding. At the same time, the country is faced with a rising burden of NCDs, increasing inequities in health, a rapidly ageing population, and subsequent challenges in prioritizing the allocation of funds.

In this context, effective development cooperation is essential; and today’s discussion is quite timely.  It is an opportunity for each one of us to ask ourselves: how we can ensure that development cooperation in the health sector supports Viet Nam’s efforts towards Universal Health Coverage in the most effective and efficient way?

Finally, I would like to thank Associate Professor Huong for the opportunity to co-chair this meeting. It is my first HPG event since taking up my position as the WHO Health Systems Team Coordinator here in Viet Nam. Before coming here, I worked in Cambodia for the past five years and during my time there also supported a similar process of IHP+ results monitoring and policy dialogue around the results.

I am new to the HPG, but I’m impressed with what I have learnt so far and with the broad participation here today, including participation from the provincial levels and the private sector. I believe this is an indication of a strong leadership of the Government of Vietnam, and sense of mutual accountability with regards to issues of development cooperation effectiveness.

I look forward to being part of the HPG; and of today’s working session and the collective actions we define. Thank you!