Introduction of the Early Journey Program to the Khanh Hoa Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

On 13 July 2026, at the Khanh Hoa Provincial Center for Disease Control (CDC Khanh Hoa), the Research and Training Centre for Community Development (RTCCD) held a working meeting with leaders of the Khanh Hoa Department of Health (DOH) and CDC Khanh Hoa to introduce the Early Journey Program and learn more about the local culture, customs, and the opportunities and challenges faced by the health sector when implementing community-based programs at the local level.

The meeting was attended by leaders and technical staff from the Khanh Hoa Department of Health and CDC Khanh Hoa, including:

• Mr. Trinh Ngoc Hiep – Deputy Director, Khanh Hoa Department of Health
• Ms. Tran Thi Quynh Uyen – Deputy Director, CDC Khanh Hoa
• Ms. Pham Kha – Head of the Reproductive Health Department, CDC Khanh Hoa

RTCCD introduced the Early Journey Program to help leaders of the Khanh Hoa Department of Health and CDC Khanh Hoa gain an understanding of the program, its objectives and implementation approach, as well as the progress of implementation across the four provinces/cities currently participating in the program.

During the meeting, leaders of the Department of Health shared their perspectives on the challenges and enabling factors involved in implementing community-based programs at the local level, particularly in ethnic minority communities. The discussion also provided valuable insights into local cultural practices and considerations that should be taken into account when adapting program activities to the provincial context.

Following the meeting with the Department of Health and CDC leadership, the RTCCD team travelled to Dong Khanh Son Commune, where the Raglai ethnic community resides. The field visit aimed to better understand local culture, customs and practices, particularly childcare and parenting practices, in order to inform the adaptation and contextualization of the program’s training materials, tools and resources for implementation in Khanh Hoa.

CDC Khanh Hoa leaders also provided recommendations on how the Early Journey Program could be implemented in the province to facilitate smooth and effective implementation.

The Department of Health and CDC Khanh Hoa expressed strong support for the RTCCD field team and facilitated the team’s visit to Dong Khanh Son Commune to learn about local culture and customs. These insights will contribute to further adapting and refining the program materials and tools to ensure they are appropriate and responsive to the local context.