Joint Circular No. 05/1998/TTLT/BYT-UBBVCSTEVN guiding the transfer of the malnutrition prevention target.

 JOINT CIRCULAR

Guidelines for transferring the target of malnutrition prevention.

Pursuant to Decision No. 19/1998/QĐ-TTg dated January 24, 1998 of the Prime Minister on transferring the target of malnutrition prevention and control (MPC) from the Vietnam Children's Protection and Care Council to the Ministry of Health for management.

Pursuant to the handover record of the MPC target dated March 27, 1998 between the Vietnam Children's Protection and Care Council and the Ministry of Health.

The Ministry of Health and the Vietnam Children's Protection and Care Council provide guidelines for transferring the MPC target at local levels as follows:

I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES:

The transfer of the malnutrition prevention target must ensure the following requirements:

1. Immediately transfer the MPC target from the Children's Protection and Care Council of provinces and centrally governed cities to the Department of Health. The Department of Health and the Children's Protection and Care Council of provinces and centrally governed cities have the responsibility to urge, direct, and inspect the implementation of the transfer at local levels and instruct the Center for Health Promotion and Family Planning in provinces and centrally governed cities to implement the program activities at local levels.

During the transfer process, it must be urgent, not causing organizational disruption, personnel changes, and ensuring the stability and continuity of program implementation according to the spirit of Decision No. 19/1998/QĐ-TTg dated January 24, 1998 of the Prime Minister.

2. The Children's Protection and Care Councils of provinces and centrally governed cities are responsible for continuing to coordinate with the Department of Health in implementing the MPC target for children.

1. Provisions on HIV screening tests:

1. Content of Transfer:

- Contents and plans of activities of the malnutrition prevention program for children under five years old (1996-2000) and the plan to implement the MPC target for children in 1998 at local levels.

- Transfer the implementation plan of the 1998 budget for the MPC target for children from the Children's Protection and Care Councils of provinces and centrally governed cities to the Department of Health based on the notification from the Vietnam Children's Protection and Care Council on the approval by the Government, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the Ministry of Finance. The Children's Protection and Care Councils of provinces and centrally governed cities are responsible for settling accounts for the program activities from 1997 and earlier. The Department of Health assigns tasks to the Center for Health Promotion and Family Planning in provinces and centrally governed cities to manage the budget for the MPC target. The delegated funds provided by the Ministry of Finance to localities will be managed according to the regulations on state budget management and operation for the local health system. In cases where expenditures were made in the first quarter for volunteers and village committees, the Children's Protection and Care Councils of provinces and centrally governed cities are responsible for settling accounts with the Department of Health immediately in the first quarter of 1998. The Center for Health Promotion and Family Planning will be responsible for settling accounts for the program activities according to current regulations with the Department of Health, the Department of Finance of provinces and centrally governed cities, and report to the Ministry of Health starting from 1998. The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance will soon issue a joint Circular providing detailed guidance on expenditure items and standards. Materials related to information, education, and communication work, printed materials, and equipment (such as scales and growth charts...) serving the program at communes and wards.

- List of districts, counties, communes, and wards implementing the program and the situation of implementation at these facilities.

2. Method of Transfer:

- The Children's Protection and Care Councils of provinces and centrally governed cities cooperate with the Department of Health to report to the People's Councils of provinces and centrally governed cities to organize the transfer witnessed by the Departments of Planning and Investment, Finance, and other relevant departments.

- Prepare a handover record and report to the Ministry of Health and the Vietnam Children's Protection and Care Council.

3. Time of Transfer:

Organize the transfer to be completed in April 1998.

4. After the transfer, the Department of Health reports to the People's Councils of provinces and centrally governed cities to issue a decision to re-establish the Steering Committee for the MPC target with the Chairman of the province (or Deputy Chairman in charge of social affairs) as the Head, the Director of the Department of Health as the Vice-Chairman in charge of regular operations, and members including: the Director of the Center for Health Promotion and Family Planning, the Director of the Preventive Health Center, representatives of the Children's Protection and Care Council of the province, and other relevant departments.

At the district, county, commune, and ward levels, the health sector takes the initiative to report to the People's Councils at all levels to issue a decision to re-establish the Steering Committee for the MPC target with the Chairman (or Deputy Chairman in charge of social affairs) as the Head, the health officer at the facility as the Vice-Chairman in charge of regular operations, and other members continue to participate. It is necessary to encourage and stabilize the volunteer teams at village levels.

III. IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS:

- The Ministry of Health assigns the Department of Health Promotion and Family Planning as the focal point for managing and directing the program.

- The Departments of Health of provinces and centrally governed cities are the units responsible for guiding the implementation of the program at local levels.

- The Centers for Health Promotion and Family Planning are the units implementing the program activities, acting as the focal point for coordinating with relevant departments in the program activities at provincial and centrally governed city levels.

Upon receipt of this Circular, the Joint Ministry of Health - Vietnam Children's Protection and Care Council requests localities to urgently transfer and implement the program activities to ensure the program targets and report the results to the Ministry of Health (Department of Health Promotion and Family Planning) and the Vietnam Children's Protection and Care Council. During the transfer process, if there are difficulties or obstacles, they must be reported immediately to the Ministry of Health and the Vietnam Children's Protection and Care Council for resolution.