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ACTIVE SINCE: 2012

Cùng Sống Khỏe

Improving access to early diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in primary healthcare settings in Vietnam.
SDGS CONTRIBUTING TO:
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MEMBER COMPANIES:
Government 4
Intergovernmental Organizations and Multilaterals 2
Professional and Trade Associations 1
Hospitals Health Facilities 1
Academia or research institute 2
Objectives
  • Improve healthcare access for under-served communities using an integrated community model approach, enhancing access to healthcare and affordable innovative medicines
  • Raise health awareness at the community and primary care level by spreading messages on the prevalence, symptoms and actions needed to address noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as hypertension, diabetes, and other cardiovascular complications

What are the health needs and challenges?

In Vietnam, most people live in rural or semi-urban villages. Health education, health-seeking behavior and health expenditure are low in these communities. Health issues are further exacerbated by inadequate sanitation, poor hygiene, malnutrition, and limited access to clean water.

Many communities have traditionally focused on combating infectious diseases. However, there is a growing need to address NCDs such as hypertension, diabetes, and other cardiovascular complications, as the rate of premature deaths from NCDs before the age of 70 continues to rise. Alarmingly, 86% of these early deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

In the past decades, Vietnam’s Ministry of Health (MoH) has undertaken an ambitious effort to strengthen primary healthcare and improve the management of NCDs at primary healthcare level. This was achieved through the creation of blueprint commune health station demonstration sites. International health organizations, such as the World Health Organization, USAID, World Bank, and Asian Development Bank, along with private sector partners, contributed technical and financial assistance to strengthen health systems at the grassroots level.

Partnership activities and how they address needs and challenges

In 2012, Novartis launched Cùng Sống Khỏe (CSK) in Vietnam as part of its Community Health Programs, which aim to build local, sustainable healthcare capabilities in developing countries.

CSK supports the country’s goal of achieving universal health coverage in 2030 through collaboration with local health authorities. Together, they are working to improve access to early diagnosis and treatment of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia (a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease) in primary healthcare settings.

Since its inception, CSK has been rolled out in 37 provinces, providing health education and screenings for nearly two million adults on hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Recently, lipid screening was added to the program.

The CSK model is based on six “A’s”:

Awareness

  • Diversify communication channels to inform communities about diseases and risk factors
  • Emphasize the importance of early detection and timely treatment
  • Promote health-seeking behaviors for screening, diagnosis and treatment

Affordability

  • Ensure access to and affordability of effective and standard of care medicine

Adherence

Ensure adherence through patient-centric case management by:

  • Improving consistent access to treatment, from early detection to timely treatment and sustained adherence
  • Maintaining screening logs and establishing a robust referral system from commune health stations to district health centers or hospitals
  • Coordinating care to achieve treatment goals

Adaptability

Drawing from insights gained over 12 years, gaps in delivering effective and equitable healthcare services in primary healthcare settings have been identified, leading to the development of customized solutions, including:

  • Improving health databases, medical records, and disease management systems, which currently increase the workload for healthcare providers and hinder efficient referrals and coordinated patient care across healthcare levels

Accessibility

CSK increases access to medicines and healthcare services in rural and limited settings via a strong coordinated care team of hospital practitioners and non-hospital channel partners.

Alliances

CSK works closely with the MoH and other stakeholders (e.g., World Bank) to drive impactful, sustainable improvements in primary healthcare services. CSK initiated the first public-private partnership with Vietnam’s MoH aimed at strengthening primary healthcare at primary care level.

Results and milestones

Since its inception in 2012, CSK has been rolled out in 37 provinces, providing health education and screenings for nearly two million adults on hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. In the same timeframe, 167,000 healthcare workers have been upskilled through capability-building programs to provide an essential and efficient standard of care.

Geographic Reach
  • Western Pacific
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Disease Area
  • Non-communicable diseases
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Partner organizations
Government

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Health Strategy and Policy Institute Vietnam

Provincial Departments of Health Vietnam

Ministry of Health Vietnam

Intergovernmental Organizations and Multilaterals

World Bank

Asian Development Bank

Professional and Trade Associations

Vietnam Medical Association

Hospitals Health Facilities

Provincial Health Organizations Vietnam

Academia or research institute

Hanoi School of Public Health

Partnership for Health Advancement in Vietnam (HAIVN)