Key activities in healthcare communication in 2024 at the local level in Vietnam

The Ministry of Health issued Decision 128/QD-BYT on January 17, 2024, regarding the Information and Communication Plan for the healthcare sector in 2024.

Healthcare Information and Communication Plan for 2024 in Vietnam (Internet image)

The key activities in healthcare communication in 2024 at localities include:

The provincial and centrally-run city Health Departments are responsible for organizing and implementing communication activities and providing healthcare information within their jurisdictions.

1. The Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and People's Committee issue directives and guidelines and organize communication activities to implement laws, resolutions, directives, programs, plans, projects, and directives from the central government regarding healthcare. They integrate healthcare communication objectives with the local objectives and tasks for socio-economic development in 2023 and the 2021–2025 period, as well as communicate the achievements in the healthcare sector from the 13th Party Congress.

2. Proactively communicate the roles and responsibilities of local authorities in implementing the Party's guidelines, state policies, and laws on healthcare. Enhance communication of policy guidelines stated in Directive 07/CT-TTg dated March 21, 2023, by the Prime Minister within units and localities. Invest resources, materials, and personnel in communicating policies on healthcare legislation and policy mechanisms issued in 2023.

3. Strengthen the operation and networking of healthcare communication from the central to grassroots levels, including: the lead unit (the Ministry of Health's Office) capturing, sharing, and exchanging information with provincial and city Health Departments, Disease Control Centers, hospitals, and units under the Health Departments.

Assign tasks to officials from the Health Departments, hospitals, and units under the Health Departments to build prominent healthcare information and events related to the activities of the local healthcare sector and respective units. Regularly and proactively provide information about the Ministry of Health (through the Health Communication Department, the Ministry's Office) for timely compilation and transmission to media agencies.

4. Innovate healthcare communication content and methods to ensure timeliness, transparency, and effectiveness:

- Develop healthcare education communication products, including traditional and digital media materials (infographics, audio clips, video clips, etc.). Utilize and share updated communication materials from the Ministry of Health's electronic media database with units under the Health Departments. Access the Ministry of Health's electronic media database at the following address: [URL]

- Utilize diverse forms of healthcare education communication, including mass media, digital media, and new media platforms. Based on local conditions and the Ministry of Health's guidance, enhance communication on social media platforms (Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Zalo, Viber, Lotus, etc.). Strengthen communication connections on the Ministry of Health's social media platforms (Vietnam Health Fanpage, Zalo Ministry of Health, YouTube Ministry of Health, TikTok Ministry of Health, Lotus Ministry of Health) with local units' social media pages.

5. Coordinate with local media agencies in healthcare communication:

- Disseminate Party and State guidelines, laws, and policies. Coordinate in promoting directives from Party committees and local authorities to ensure public understanding, support, sharing, and participation in local healthcare activities.

- Proactively provide information on regular and unexpected healthcare activities such as press conferences, media meetings, conferences, seminars, journalist training, and inviting reporters to participate in healthcare activities in the area.

- Improve and implement cooperation mechanisms between the healthcare sector and local media agencies. Coordinate in implementing television programs, radio broadcasts, specialized sections, columns, news articles, etc., to communicate policies and healthcare activities in the local area.

6. Develop plans and guidelines for healthcare units, agencies, departments, and organizations at all levels, from provincial/city level to grassroots level, to implement health education and communication.

- Organize communication activities on the occasion of the 69th anniversary of Vietnamese Doctors' Day on February 27, 2024, as well as other events, movements, launching ceremonies, and commemorative days (details in Appendix 3) through various forms such as launching ceremonies, rallies, workshops, forums, special topic activities, propaganda, banners, slogans, etc.

- Continuously innovate the content and forms of communication activities to be suitable for the local context: workshops, conferences, forums, discussions, exchanges, club activities, direct counseling at households and communities through village health workers, collaborators, officials from various sectors and organizations...

- Develop and provide health education communication products to target groups: traditional communication materials, digital communication materials (infographics, audio clips, video clips, etc.), messages, radio programs, television programs, documentaries, newsletters, special columns, etc., following the guidelines of the Central level (access and use sample communication materials from the Ministry of Health's electronic data warehouse of communication materials) and update and supplement them to suit the specific characteristics of the local area. Edit communication materials in ethnic minority languages at the local level to communicate with ethnic people in mountainous, remote, and difficult areas.

- Implement communication activities of national programs, projects, and initiatives on healthcare in fields such as examination, treatment, prevention, disease control, population, food safety, HIV/AIDS prevention, and tobacco harm prevention.

- Deploy communication models in local healthcare facilities to provide policy and legal advice on healthcare, supply information on healthcare services, and provide health education communication to the people and community.

7. Enhance the capacity of local healthcare communication.

- Complete the functions and units/sections responsible for healthcare communication at the local level, ensuring the full implementation of the state management functions and tasks on healthcare communication according to the regulations in Circular 37/2021/TT-BYT dated December 31, 2021, of the Ministry of Health.

- Issue Regulations on Spokespersons and the provision of healthcare information by the unit; Review and improve the assignment of Spokespersons, units/sections, and officials responsible for healthcare communication and information provision at the Department of Health and its subordinate units according to the current regulations.

- Assign officials to fully participate in conferences, workshops, and training courses on healthcare communication organized by the central level; provide training on health risk communication according to the specific guidance of the Ministry of Health (Ministry's Office).

- Organize training courses to enhance the capacity of healthcare communication at the local level: training on communication, information provision, and skills in health education communication, risk communication, application of digital communication trends, new communication methods in healthcare for spokespersons and leaders of units, officials in charge of communication at the Department of Health and its subordinate units, with a focus on communication officers in healthcare facilities, preventive healthcare facilities.

- Strengthen the inspection, supervision, and support for healthcare communication activities at subordinate units and grassroots levels.

8. Monitor and handle information related to healthcare activities; promptly detect and handle information in case of incidents or hot issues in healthcare at the local level. If necessary, report to the Ministry of Health (through the Ministry's Office) for coordination in handling.

9. Communicate achievements in local healthcare activities and publish and educate traditional healthcare history.

- Communicate prominent results and achievements in healthcare activities, the key objectives, tasks, and solutions in the management areas of the healthcare sector (details in Appendix 2).

- Communicate about launching and implementing the movement of studying Ho Chi Minh's moral example and promoting patriotism; honor exemplary collectives and individuals in the protection, care, and improvement of people's health. Conduct activities to educate healthcare professionals and students at local medical and pharmaceutical schools about ethics, profession, and historical traditions in the healthcare sector.

- Organize publishing activities and healthcare exhibitions according to legal regulations.

10 Increase investment in local healthcare communication

- Establish mechanisms to integrate healthcare communication activities with regular communication activities, programs, projects, and initiatives in the healthcare field, international cooperation, and local socio-economic development programs.

- Increase investment in resources for healthcare communication, ensuring sufficient funding for healthcare communication activities from the central level; targeted programs, projects, and initiatives; supplement local funding; mobilize legal support sources; ensure infrastructure and equipment for the healthcare communication system in the area; and develop and implement support policies and allowances for officials and collaborators involved in healthcare communication according to local conditions.

11. Organize monitoring, evaluation, interim review, final review, and lessons learned from healthcare communication activities; regularly report to authorities at all levels and the Ministry of Health according to regulations. Organize exchanges, learning, and sharing experiences among localities and units that have done well in healthcare communication.

More details can be found in Decision 128/QD-BYT in 2024.

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