Directive No. 08/1999/CT-BYT on Strengthening the Implementation of Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) Activities in Vietnam

DIRECTIVE

Regarding the enhancement of activities to integrate

child health care in Vietnam

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In recent years, the Health sector has implemented national health programs to monitor and prevent diseases with high incidence and mortality rates among children. Thanks to these programs, the number of cases and deaths from some common childhood diseases has significantly decreased, especially for children under five years old. These programs have been carried out vertically from central to grassroots levels but lack horizontal integration. At the local level, when implementing, all programs require training for primary healthcare staff on how to handle and care for sick children, but due to inconsistent techniques, the quality has not met the requirements for comprehensive care of sick children. In practice, healthcare staff often face difficulties in handling cases with multiple combined illnesses. Many national and international health projects plan to implement child health care activities at the local level but lack coordination and integration, leading to overlaps in certain areas such as training, monitoring, and supervision, thereby increasing the burden on primary healthcare facilities.

This situation requires the cooperation of programs with the same objectives and target groups to concentrate resources, unify techniques, and integrate relevant activity contents related to diseases with high incidence and mortality rates among children under five years old. Based on this need, Decision No. 1821/QD-BYT dated June 17, 1999, the Minister of Health established the Management Board for Integrated Child Health Care Activities, headed by the Deputy Minister in charge of the Ministry of Health.

The contents of Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) activities are:

- Improving the skills of healthcare workers in handling sick children, particularly at the primary healthcare level.

- Strengthening the healthcare system to provide more effective integrated care for sick children.

- Enhancing family and community practices in child health care.

1. The implementation of IMCI activities must meet the following requirements:

2. Combining child health care activities according to the IMCI approach and considering it a priority management improvement content to reduce waste caused by the lack of integration of child health care program activities.

3. Mobilizing resources from all levels, sectors, international organizations, and sponsors to participate in planning and synchronously implementing the three contents of IMCI activities.

Incorporating IMCI activities into the work plans of units and localities for each phase to train technical staff and IMCI activity instructors for various levels and related health programs; introducing the content and implementation techniques of IMCI activities to managers at all levels, health programs, universities, colleges, and secondary medical schools; unifying techniques and methods of implementing IMCI activities at localities.

To implement the above requirements, the Minister of Health instructs the Departments, Bureaus, Office, Inspectorate, subordinate units of the Ministry, provincial and municipal health departments directly under the Central Government, health programs, and projects to immediately carry out the following tasks:

1/- Heads of Departments, Bureaus, Office, and Inspectorate of the Ministry of Health are responsible for:

- Announcing the policy of the Ministry of Health so that localities and units can implement the contents of IMCI activities.

- Planning to mobilize and coordinate resources (both domestic and international) to implement IMCI activities.

- Guiding Institutes and Hospitals to integrate the contents of IMCI activities into related activities concerning child health care. Introducing IMCI activities to universities, colleges, secondary medical schools, and researching the application of IMCI technical contents in student training and practical guidance.

- Supporting localities, institutions, and related health programs to implement IMCI activities.

2/- The Central Management Board for IMCI activities is responsible for:

- Coordinating IMCI activities.

- Proactively coordinating with domestic and foreign organizations to mobilize resources for the implementation of IMCI activities.

- Guiding localities, projects, and sponsors to plan and supplement funds for IMCI activities. Monitoring, supervising, and evaluating activities for each region and phase of implementation.

- Establishing and maintaining the operation of the IMCI Technical Office as the liaison point with related Institutes and health programs, compiling information, and reporting to the Ministry of Health on the progress and quality of IMCI implementation at localities.

3/- For heads of subordinate units of the Ministry:

- Heads of the Pediatric Institute, Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Central Institute of Malariology-Helminthology-Pediatrics, Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Institute, Nutrition Institute are responsible for coordinating with central and regional Institutes and Hospitals together with the IMCI Technical Group (selected by the units) to guide techniques, assist provinces in organizing implementation and assessing the quality and effectiveness of IMCI activities.

- The Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, which houses the IMCI Technical Office, is responsible for supporting the activities of the Technical Office and providing capable personnel for long-term work in IMCI activities.

4/- Provincial and Municipal Health Department Directors directly under the Central Government are responsible for directing and managing the implementation of IMCI activities in their localities, such as establishing Management Boards, planning coordinated activities, monitoring, and supporting the healthcare network in implementing IMCI activities according to unified technical contents.

5/- Heads of related programs and projects are responsible for guiding levels to plan coordinated activities in training, monitoring, and supporting localities in implementing IMCI activities according to the content of each program and project.

Upon receipt of this Directive, heads of Departments, Bureaus, Office, Inspectorate of the Ministry of Health, heads of subordinate units of the Ministry, provincial and municipal health department directors directly under the Central Government, and heads of related programs and projects are responsible for organizing implementation and regularly reporting results to the Minister of Health./.