VN057 - STC on human resource for health

Background:

Over the past two decades Viet Nam has significantly expanded its health professional training institutions and numbers of graduates. With need to improve the quality of its health workforce, Viet Nam embarked on major health professional medical reform. Reform measures include moving towards competency-based education and assessment, and overall strengthening of health workforce regulations, which are in line with the WHO Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030. With the COVID-19 outbreak and need to strengthen the grassroots healthcare system in Viet Nam, the health workforce remains as one of the critical inputs to the health system and shaping the ability for Viet Nam to respond to the changing health needs in the future.

More specifically, in July 2020, the Government of Viet Nam established the National Medical Council (NMC) with PM Decision (No 956-QD-TTg). The establishment of the Council follows the Party Resolution 20 (No 20/2017–NQ/TW) on the protection, care and improvement of people’s health. The resolution includes establishing an NMC to administer national licensing examinations and grant practice certificates according to international standards. The NMC has two main functions: 1) setting competency standards for health professional education and 2) preparing the conditions for the assessment of health professionals.

Some of the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic highlight the importance of the ability to plan for surge capacity and longer-term health workforce needs, and support to the health workforce particularly in high risk areas and during extended COVID-19 outbreak. Health workforce policies which create an enabling environment and consider the mental and psycho-social support to health workers during these critical times are to be continuously evaluated and strengthened.

Based on request from the Ministry of Health, the WHO Representative Office in Viet Nam has provided technical assistance to the Government of Viet Nam in health professional education reform. The continued areas of WHO support will entail, but will not be limited to, support to capacity building of the NMC, health workforce planning, and situation analyses of the mental health and psycho-social support to the health workforce during COVID-19.

Address for applications:

Administrative Officer

World Health Organization

UN Building, 304 Kim Ma Street, Hanoi, Viet Nam

Or by email at: wpvnmapplicants@who.int

Note: applicants should indicate vacancy notice number and title of position in the email subject