First Joint Coordinating Committee and Telehealth Seminar Held in Viet Nam

On 5 March 2026, Thursday, the first Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC) meeting and a telehealth hybrid seminar were held in Hanoi, Viet Nam, under the technical cooperation project “Project for Strengthening Capacity Development System for Health Professional through Tele-Health.” Approximately 40 participants attended the event, including representatives from the Ministry of Health, provincial health authorities, and central hospitals in Viet Nam. Participants exchanged views on the project’s progress and future activity plans.

This project aims to improve the quality of healthcare services in rural areas by strengthening the capacity development system for health professionals through the use of telehealth technologies. In particular, the project is promoting the development of institutional frameworks and operational systems for Doctor-to-Doctor (D-to-D) telehealth, as well as preparing for pilot implementation in Lao Cai Province.

During the JCC meeting, the achievements in 2025 and the activity plan for 2026 were presented and discussed. In addition, participants exchanged views on revisions to the project design and indicators, taking into account changes in the project environment since its launch, and confirmed the direction for future implementation.

In the afternoon, a hybrid seminar was held to promote knowledge sharing between Japan and Viet Nam in the field of telehealth. From the Japanese side, Dr. TAKAKI Shunsuke from Yokohama City University Hospital presented on “Initiatives for the Pilot Introduction of a Tele-ICU System in Viet Nam.” Mr. ICHIKAWA Eiichiro of Japan Telecommunications Engineering and Consulting Service (JTEC) and Mr. SHIBATANI Yoshitaka of LPIXEL Inc. delivered a presentation on “Pilot Demonstration of an AI-Based Diagnostic Imaging Support System in Viet Nam.” From the Vietnamese side, Dr. Nguyen Lan Hieu, Director of Hanoi Medical University Hospital, introduced telemedicine initiatives at his hospital. These presentations provided a valuable opportunity to deepen mutual understanding of telehealth and digital health initiatives and explore future collaboration between Japan and Viet Nam.

Through this project, JICA will continue to support the development of telehealth systems and the strengthening of health workforce capacity in Viet Nam, while contributing to reducing disparities in access to healthcare services between urban and rural areas.