Project News

The 10th Program Management Meeting (PMM) was held in August 26th in National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE), Hanoi. The Project's targets are to enhance the capacity of laboratory diagnosis and biosafety as well as to strengthen the laboratory network in Vietnam to respond to hazardous pathogens such as avian influenza with the duration from 2011 to 2016. This meeting included the Terminal Evaluation (TE) of the Program. There were 35 participants including Vice Director Le Thi Quynh Mai from NIHE, Vice Director Cao Thi Bao Van from Pasteur Institute of HO Chi Minh City, Dr Nguyen Ngo Hung from Tay Nguyen Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Drs. Nguyen Bao Trieu and Ngo Le Thi Minh Tam from Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang, Dr. Kaname Kanai Team Leader from Terminal Evaluation (TE) Mission of JICA Headquarter (HQ), Mrs Dao Thi Khanh officer from JICA-Vietnam Office and experts from JICA-Project Office.

In this time, the TE Mission team organized by JICA HQ visited Vietnam to conduct the Joint TE for the Project and had a series of meeting and interviews of relevant organization and C/P concerning the whole of the Project activities to examine the achievement level of the Purpose and Outputs of the Project. As a result, the TE Mission reached the conclusion as follows; 1) This Project is still relevant, since it is in line with development policies of the government of Vietnam, Japanese ODA policies, and needs of counterparts (C/Ps) and target areas. 2) The Project has progressed smoothly and achieved sufficient level of outputs as planned without delay. It is highly expected that the achievement level of respective Outputs would be obtained by the end of the Project. After the reports of the TE Mission, participants also discussed on issues in both the remaining time and the future of the Project period as follows:

The Project is recommended

1. Given training opportunities to the staff of NIHE and RIs and the pilot PCPMs, the network between the institutes related to the Project has been strengthened as well as their capacities. Accordingly, MOH, NIHE and RIs and the pilot PCPMs are expected to secure necessary budget so that sufficient training opportunities can be provided to the staff after the Project. The pilot PCPMs need to estimate the necessary budget and share the information with Provincial People's Committee and DOH. To keep the seven target pathogens, However, the Project should have flexibility depending on the priority in Vietnam.
2. Each RI should realize the needs and issues of the pilot PCPMs through monitoring, and provide advices to sustain the PCPMs laboratory capacities.
3. NIHE, RIs and the pilot PCPMs with sufficient budget and appropriate skills are recommended to introduce the advanced technologies and equipment for laboratory diagnosis. On the other hand, those with sophisticated and expensive equipment that are difficult to exchange spare parts and operate self-maintenance and calibration are expected to consider simpler techniques for diagnosis.
4. In the symposium scheduled in October, and the participants including invited guests from Laos and Cambodia are expected not only to share information and also to discuss potential of international cooperation between the neighboring countries (needs, benefits, etc.).

Next day, August 27th, the 4th Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) meeting was held in NIHE by the participants plus representatives from Ministry of Health and JICA Vietnam Office. As a result of the discussion on draft of the Minute of Meeting based on the reports of TE Mission and issues in the remaining time of the Project period, both the TE Mission and the Vietnamese side reached common understanding, agreed upon and signed the final Minute of Meeting on the Project.

Agreement and signed on MM

Participants of the 10th PMM Meeting