Directive from the Ministry of Health of Vietnam on enhancing child healthcare to reduce mortality in children iunder 5 years old

Directive from the Ministry of Health of Vietnam on enhancing child healthcare to reduce mortality in children under 5 years old (Image from the internet)

The Ministry of Health of Vietnam issued Directive 05/CT-BYT on June 26, 2024, on enhancing child healthcare to reduce mortality in children under 5 years old.

Directive from the Ministry of Health of Vietnam on enhancing child healthcare to reduce mortality in children under 5 years old

As such, to reduce child mortality and decisively implement Decision 1493/QĐ-TTg from the Prime Minister, the Minister of Health requires:

(1) Departments of Health in provinces and centrally-controlled cities

• Directors of the Departments of Health should advise the provincial/city People's Committee to issue a Directive from the Chairperson of the provincial/city People’s Committee on enhancing child healthcare to reduce mortality in children under 5 years old, focusing on the following:

• Increasing the allocation of local budgets, combined with central support, integrating national target programs and other legitimate funds to focus on implementing intervention measures and targets to reduce child mortality as stated in Decision 1493;

_ Directing medical facilities specialized in obstetrics and pediatrics to strengthen and enhance their capacity to handle neonatal emergencies and resuscitation; widely implement specialized interventions on essential care for mothers and newborns during and immediately after normal/Caesarian births and care for infants using the Kangaroo method according to the professional guidelines of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam;

• Increasing the implementation of regular health check-ups for children, utilizing both paper and electronic versions of the mother and child health monitoring book effectively - a tool for continuous health monitoring and management of children;

• Increasing efforts to combat malnutrition in children under 5 years old; widely applying Decision 4976/QĐ-BYT dated November 30, 2020, from the Minister of Health on developing balanced nutritional menus for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children from 7 months to 60 months old;

• Enhancing the implementation of vaccinations for subjects under the Expanded Program on Immunization ensuring coverage, safety, and effectiveness;

• Directing local authorities at all levels and relevant departments and sectors to intensify efforts to reduce child mortality due to diseases, drowning, accidents, traffic accidents, food poisoning, natural disasters, etc.;

• Strengthening and enhancing the effectiveness of the village health worker system and allocating funds for allowances for village health workers according to current regulations;

• Increasing communication efforts, diversifying communication methods and means that are appropriate and effective at the local level regarding child healthcare;

• Enhancing the application of information technology, connecting and linking health databases to manage children's health.

• Intensifying the supervision of both public and private medical facilities in the area regarding the implementation of solutions and specialized interventions in neonatal emergency care and child healthcare.

(2) Medical facilities

• Establish and operate an “internal and inter-hospital red alert” system in obstetrics and pediatrics for emergency and neonatal resuscitation in hospitals and out-of-hospital emergencies quickly, promptly, and effectively;

• Focus on neonatal asphyxia emergencies and neonatal resuscitation in the delivery room; if prognosis exceeds the professional capacity, promptly refer to higher levels. In cases where transferring patients during emergencies is unsafe, conduct online consultations with higher levels for support;

• Widely implement essential care for mothers and newborns during and immediately after normal/Caesarian births and neonatal care using the Kangaroo method, ensuring full and effective compliance with the steps according to the Ministry of Health’s professional guidelines;

• Maintain and regularly strengthen operations and allocate adequate personnel to care for and treat newborns according to the levels of medical examinations and treatment to ensure effective operation;

• Medical facilities assigned to oversee lower levels should additionally focus on: strengthening supervision and support activities, technical transfer, and conducting training sessions to update knowledge and enhance professional skills in neonatal and pediatric emergency care and interventions as stipulated by the Ministry of Health.

(3) Units under the Ministry of Health of Vietnam

• The Department of Maternal and Child Health: As the focal point for organizing implementation, interim reviews, final reviews, and compiling reports on the implementation results of the Directive.

• The Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management: To update and supplement necessary professional guidelines for medical examinations and treatments for children under 5 years old.

• Other units under the Ministry of Health: Based on their functions and duties, they should coordinate with the Department of Maternal and Child Health in organizing the implementation of the Directive to ensure compliance and effectiveness.

(4) Units affiliated to the Ministry of Health of Vietnam

Proactively implement the contents of the Directive according to their functions and duties, and coordinate with local Departments of Health, the Department of Maternal and Child Health, and other units affiliated to the Ministry of Health to ensure compliance and effectiveness.

(5) Reporting regime

Heads of Departments, Bureaus, Ministry Office, Ministry Inspectors, and heads of units under the Ministry of Health, Directors of Health Departments in provinces and centrally-controlled cities, and heads of sectoral health units, as per their functions, duties, and assigned powers; public and private medical facilities specializing in obstetrics, neonatology, and pediatrics, are responsible for organizing the implementation and annually reporting the results of the implementation of this Directive to the Ministry of Health (Department of Maternal and Child Health).

Nguyen Ngoc Que Anh

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