Organizational structure of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam

Organizational structure of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam (Internet image)

1. Organizational structure of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam

The organizational structure of the Ministry of Health is specified in Article 3 of Decree 95/2022/ND-CP, specifically as follows:

* Organizations assisting the Minister of Health of Vietnam in performing the state management functions:

- Department of Health Insurance.

- Department Maternal Health and Children.

- Organization and Personnel Department.

- Department of Planning and Finance.

- Department of Legal Affairs.

- Department of International Cooperation.

- Ministry Office.

- Ministry Inspectorate.

- Administration of Science, Technology and Training.

- General Department of Preventive Medicine.

- Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control.

- Health Environment Management Agency.

- Department of Medical Services Administration.

- Traditional Medicine Administration of Vietnam.

- Drug Administration of Vietnam.

- Vietnam Food Administration.

- Department of Infrastructure and Medical Equipment.

- Population Department.

* Administrative units serving the Ministry of Health’s state management functions:

- Health Strategy and Policy Institute.

- National Health Information Center.

- Health and Lifestyle Newspapers.

The Minister of Health of Vietnam shall request the Prime Minister to issue the list of other public administrative units affiliated to the Ministry of Health of Vietnam.

The Minister of Health of Vietnam shall stipulate functions, tasks, powers and organizational structures of its affiliated agencies.

2. Tasks and powers of the Ministry of Health regarding food safety in Vietnam 

Tasks and powers of the Ministry of Health regarding food safety in Vietnam include:

- Play the leading role in formulating and promulgating national technical regulations on food products within the scope of its management; promulgate national technical regulations or regulations on safety limits of food product groups at the request of supervisory ministries; promulgate the list of food additives;

- Formulate and request competent authorities to promulgate regulations on food safety conditions to be satisfied by manufacturers and traders of functional foods, natural mineral water, bottled water, edible ice, micronutrients, food additives, food flavorings, food processing aids, devices and materials for directly packaging or storing foods;

Industrial kitchens, restaurants of hotels, resorts, other restaurants, food and beverage trading establishments and street food vendors;

- Play the leading role in disseminating information and knowledge and educate about laws on food safety within the scope of its management;

- Play the leading role and cooperate with relevant ministries and regulatory authorities in building an alert system on food safety incidents; providing specific provisions on statement of food safety incidents; organizing the supervision, analysis of food safety risks, prevention, investigation and cooperation in preventing food poisoning as well as responding to food safety risks within the scope of its management;

- Manage the compliance with regulations on food safety during the production, preparation, processing, preservation, transportation, import, export and trading in the following food products, including: food additives, food processing aids, bottled water, natural mineral water, edible ice, micronutrients, functional foods and other foods in accordance with regulations of law;

Take responsibility for food safety management of devices and materials for directly packaging or storing foods during the production, processing and trading of food products in the fields within the scope of its management;

- Organize receipt and management of applications, and issuance of certificates of registered product declaration with regard to dietary supplements, mixed food additives with new effects and food additives which are not included in the list of permitted food additives or are intended for use in foods other than those prescribed by the Ministry of Health of Vietnam;

Issuance of certificates of approval of advertising contents for dietary supplements; issuance of certificates of free sale for food products in the fields within the scope of its management; issuance of health certificates and other certificates for exported food products in accordance with regulations of law;

- Consider issuing certificates of fulfillment of food safety requirements to eligible manufacturers and traders of mixed food additives with new effects and food additives which are not included in the list of permitted food additives or are intended for use in foods other than those prescribed by the Ministry of Health of Vietnam;

Issue and re-issue GMP certificates for dietary supplements in accordance with regulations of law;

- Appoint food testing laboratories serving the performance of state management tasks and reference testing laboratories within the scope of its management; appoint laboratories that run tests serving arbitration and giving final conclusions in case of discrepancies in testing results given by various laboratories;

- Appoint regulatory authorities in charge of performing food safety inspection of imported foods products within the scope of its management;

- Direct, instruct, organize and inspect the implementation of legislative documents, national standards, and national technical regulations on food safety within the scope of its management;

- Prepare periodical and ad hoc reports on food safety management on the basis of supervising and consolidating reports submitted by supervisory ministries and local governments.

(Clause 10, Article 2 of Decree 95/2022/ND-CP)

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