Detailed Mechanism Funding and Narrative

Years of mechanism: 2011 2012 2013 2014

Details for Mechanism ID: 13073
Country/Region: Vietnam
Year: 2012
Main Partner: World Health Organization
Main Partner Program: NA
Organizational Type: Multi-lateral Agency
Funding Agency: USAID
Total Funding: $314,203

The goal of the WHO Umbrella Grant will be to provide sustained, in-country technical support to the National TB Program (NTP) and serve as a coordination mechanism for all organizations implementing TB control activities in Vietnam. Key objectives of the project will be to: -Provide technical assistance (TA) to support the implementation of the National TB Strategic Plan 2011-2015 and provide TA in the implementation of Global Fund (GF) TB activities; -Support the implementation of the 2010-2015 MDR expansion plan that aims to treat 6,310 MDR patients by 2015; -Provide TA to improve case finding, including developing tools, guidelines and plans specific to Vietnam in the implementation of TB control plans related to public-private mix (PPM) activities, MDR TB management and TB/HIV; -Provide technical support to strengthen the preparedness to diagnose and treat MDR TB, including implementation of infection control, and strengthening laboratory capacity and quality; -Strengthen M&E, including ensuring availability of strategic information, to be used in guiding the implementation of programmatic management of MDR TB and TB/HIV collaborative activities. The geographic coverage will be at the national level. Target populations will be the NTP at the national and provincial levels, and their beneficiaries. A combination of routine data collection, internal data quality assessment exercises and regular field visits will be used to monitor and evaluate performance against key indicators identified in the M&E plan. No vehicles will be purchased for this project.

Funding for Care: TB/HIV (HVTB): $314,203

Vietnam ranks 12th among the 22 high-TB burden countries and is 13th among the 27 high-MDR TB burden countries. To address these challenges, the TB program in Vietnam requires continued extensive in-country, multilateral coordination and technical assistance (TA). Since 2011, USAID has supported the Stop TB Medical Officer and a National Professional Officer at WHO TB Unit in Vietnam to play a lead role in organizing coordination meetings. Their job is to bring together all key international and national partners to share information and serve as a TA provider to the National TB Program (NTP). WHO has taken the lead in coordinating partners, ensuring programs complement each other and synergies between programs exist. WHO has led coordination efforts around TB second-line drug management, piloting an electronic TB manager system (e-TB manager); expanding MDR TB management; and facilitating external QA. To strengthen national TB M&E capacity, WHO will provide TA on building the electronic TB M&E system, (including e-TB manager) and promote the linkage to the health system information system. The development of this framework will provide the tools necessary to track progress and report on achievements. In COP 12, WHO will continue working with the government of Vietnam (GVN) and NTP to assist in the implementation of the 5-year national NTP Strategic Plan and provide advice on attaining greater financial sustainability. WHO will work with MOH and international partners to strengthen the coalition to Stop TB at the national level and strengthen the role of NGOs and private medical clinics in TB control. Other COP 12 activities include providing TA to the MOH and NTP to speed up the introduction of a new treatment regimen for susceptible TB, and strengthening monitoring and surveillance of the technical aspects of the TB program. WHO staff will provide expert advice on the revision of the TB/HIV framework, M&E of TB/HIV collaborative activities and coordinate their implementation. This includes: intensified TB screening among PLHIV; testing and counseling for HIV of TB suspects/patients; provision of care to TB/HIV co-infected patients; promotion of infection control; promotion for implementation of INH prophylaxis with UNAIDS and CDC/Life-Gap; provide advice on public-private mix initiatives (engaging hospitals and private providers) to increase case detection among risk groups and vulnerable populations (including prisons); and integrate TB services. Previously, the WHO team also supported NTP to prepare for a National Strategy Application and to organize meetings with different GVN members to advocate for increasing national resources for the TB program as donor funding declines. WHO staff, in collaboration with USAID-implementing partners (KNCV and SCMS), and other partners, will implement activities to strengthen national TB policies. WHO has provided TA to NTP to revise the TB/HIV framework to include the latest WHO recommendations regarding intensified case finding among PLHIV, INH preventive therapy, infection control and early initiation of ART.

Cross Cutting Budget Categories and Known Amounts Total: $220,000
Human Resources for Health $220,000