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ADB backs VN to build up health professionals

VGP – The Asian Development Bank (ABD) approved US$ 80 million loan for Viet Nam to build and equip new campuses of the Ha Noi Medical University and the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City.

December 13, 2018 2:44 PM GMT+7

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Accordingly, the financial aid aimed to raise annual undergraduate enrollment capacity by 2,200 and producing 1,863 additional health professional graduates from 2032. 

The Second Health Human Resources Development Project will further improve the quality of health professional training at each university. A US$3 million grant from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, financed by the Government of Japan and to be administered by ADB, will support updating of training programs to ensure graduates are better skilled to address community health needs, particularly in disadvantaged settings.  

According to ADB, Viet Nam faces a shortage of skilled health professionals, including an estimated 43,250 doctors, 249,416 nurses, and 22,199 pharmacists by 2030.

The project targets to remove major barriers including limited physical space and outdated programs in Vietnamese health professional training sites; increase admission number and improve the quality of students. 

 “The project will help Viet Nam achieve its universal health coverage targets by upgrading infrastructure and boosting enrollment at two leading health education institutions,” said ADB Senior Health Specialist Gerard Servais.

“The project’s focus on disadvantaged communities will help Viet Nam address the health care needs of those living in poor and remote areas,” he added./. 

By Kim Anh