The JICA Reproductive Health (RH) Project Nghe An Province Vietnam was phased out in 2005. Japan's commitment to Vietnam continues, however, and from 2nd February 2006 to 3rd March, JOICFP conducted a JICA Country Focused Training for Community-based Reproductive Health Promotion for six personnel from Nghe An Province, representatives from two other provinces, and two from the central level.

The seminar aimed to:-

• Strengthen the understanding of effective community-based RH promotion, in line with the national RH policy of Vietnam
• Clarify the roles and responsibilities of central/provincial government and community organizations in RH and Maternal and Child Health (MCH) promotion
• Demonstrate quality services in RH related activities, such as client-friendly services in maternity care and adolescent sexual health, for the improvement of RH at every stage of life
• Share eight years of experience from the Nghe An project, identify areas for improvement, and facilitate dissemination of the experience to other provinces.

Client - friendly services

The counterparts observed practical training in a maternity hospital and midwifery clinic, which emphasized client-friendly and quality services for pregnant women and clients. They also learned about freestyle delivery, and delivery where a husband and family members were present as part of client-friendly services.

Learning about freestyle delivery
in Katsushika Maternity Hospital

Field trip to Kagoshima

In the southern prefecture of Kagoshima, the trainees saw how MCH promoters (community volunteers) work in collaboration with local municipalities as an example of community participation in health promotion.

The Vietnamese visitors also saw how local hospitals make efforts to integrate themselves into daily life. Kagoshima Co-op Hospital members carry out voluntary health checks for the public, and Wakamatsu Memorial Hospital aims "to be loved by the people" as it introduces client-friendly services to the community, especially for the aged.

Observing a health check for 18-month-old children
by MCH promoters in Higashi Ichiki Town, Kagoshima

Health education starts early in Japan, and the trainees were able to observe a primary school class on HIV/AIDS that was taught by a teacher and school nurse together.

Health education in Sendai Primary School, Kagoshima

Prospective Experts

Through "JICA-net", the Vietnamese counterparts spoke with prospective Japanese experts in Hanoi who had taken part in another JOICFP-executed JICA seminar, Training Course for Prospective Experts.

The Japanese participants had visited the Nghe An project, and shared their opinions with regard to project implementation and sustainability, while the Vietnamese counterparts shared what they had found valuable in Japan.

Prospective experts and the seminar trainees
exchange information through JICA-net

Action Plan

Based on experiences from the seminar, the Vietnamese counterparts developed an action plan to improve RH in Vietnam. Areas included strengthening training for health personnel and maximizing existing resources.

The seminar participants from Nghe An Provincial RH Care Center also developed a catchphrase for their activities, based on seminar experiences:

1. Cooperative spirit among staff
2. Be friendly and cheerful
3. Clean environment of the center
4. Client friendly service
5. Save and be efficient

At a JICA seminar on the Nghe An RH Project on 15th February discussing the experience of the project (see associated article in this issue), Dr. Nguyen Ba Tan, Director,RH care Center, Nghe An Province, said that even though the project had ended the people's endeavors would never end, and that the key to better RH was through changing the minds and attitudes of service providers toward client friendly services.
The participants from both the central and provincial levels recognized Japanese experiences of community-based RH promotion and factors that facilitated the Nghe An Project. They strongly agreed that an initiative should be taken on both the Japanese and Vietnamese sides to follow up on the Nghe An project and disseminate the experience to Hue and An Giang provinces, thereby starting a new phase of RH promotion in Vietnam.