RTCCD has since become a think tank that conducts policy-oriented research on health and poverty as well as provides an independent voice for advocating participatory community development in Vietnam.
Establishment of RTCCD
The Research and Training Center for Community Development (RTCCD) was established in May of 1996 by a group of local researchers. It was created to to facilitate the investigation of practical and effective approaches to minimize poverty and disadvantage in Vietnam.
The Center has since become a think tank that conducts policy-oriented research on health and poverty as well as provides an independent voice for advocating participatory community development in Vietnam.
RTCCD aims to increase the capacity and quality of human resources at the grass-roots level by implementing activities that assist people in carrying out their own active research, as well as providing training to support community participation on developmental projects.
Think Tank model of RTCCD
Summary of RTCCD Expertise
- Policy advocacy: RTCCD has broad and profound partnerships with National Assembly, Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Labor, Invalid and Social Affairs (MOLISA), Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and health-related government agencies. Mental health, child protection and social work are examples of RTCCD successes in bringing forgotten public health issues to public and gained concerns, financial and technical inputs for the issues nation-wide. RTCCD is also joining the Think Tank group to deliver public health messages to the National Assembly and other top high-ranking policy makers. For the last 5 years, RTCCD has been participating broadly into global and local network and also playing an important role as a founder and coordinator of national network including EBHPD, Vn-BAN, NCDs-VN, and engaging in international health network including A-BAN, SEATCA, IJPE-SE, etc. In addition, RTCCD has significant contribution to revision of Child Law 2016 to amend Foster Care into the new Law which is considered an achievement in policy advocacy.
- Research on health system development: Since establishment, RTCCD has been focusing on health system development research. The efforts include research on public health staff training, nursing education, health public expenditure and poverty, anti-corruption in health sector, health quality and utilization. So far RTCCD is the information resource to policy makers in terms of policy brief provision and commentary feedbacks on national strategies in relation to health system.
- Randomized Control Trials and Longitudinal Studies: With stable full-time human resource and strong capacity in research design and analysis, RTCCD has been worked as principal investigators of four trials/longitudinal studies in the past ten years. Those included the international Young Lives project (2001-2005), Linkage project (Nutrition), Iron/multivitamin supplementation trial (2010-2012), Anemia control trial (2003-2005)
- Mental health services: This is the key expertise of RTCCD. The organization is an accredited institution in providing training on, research in, and community interventions for upgrading mental health care and prevention in Vietnam. We work toward integrating mental health care into primary mental health system in Vietnam. In addition, RTCCD provides outpatient mental health care services through its TuNa clinic. RTCCD has also been a host for various national and international mental health workshops and conferences since 2005.
- Maternal and child health services: RTCCD focuses on building capacity for primary health workers. Our efforts are given to training health staffs of district hospitals and communual health stations of IMCI, Paediatric Life Support, Neonatal Resuscitation and Essential Newborn Care, clean delivery; and community-based IEC to create a supportive environment for pregnant mothers before, during and after delivery.
- Environmental health: In terms of environmental hazards affecting human health and pollution, since 2014, RTCCD is a leading organization working on asbestos ban campaign; also RTCCD has been strongly opposing the use of genetically modified food and agricultural chemicals. RTCCD is a representative of Vietnamese CSOs coalition attending Trip-COP 2015 in Geneva and accompanying delegates from Vietnam National Assembly to attend Rotterdam Convention. In 2016, RTCCD is planning to do further policy advocacy on Paraquat reduce and ban in Vietnam and air pollution control in the context of non-communicable disease prevention.
- Social work: RTCCD is the leading organization among CSOs to conduct short-term trainings on social work profession development in collaboration with MOLISA and HealthRight International. RTCCD has directly coordinated the development and implementation of social work services on child protection, particularly foster care practice targeting social work agencies and universities in Vietnam. In 2017, RTCCD and HealthRight International and MOLISA intend to implement pilot models on foster care in selected provinces in Vietnam.
- North-West University: Since 9/2015, RTCCD has been a technical support center to assist North-West University (Son La province) in the establishment of Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy and plan for 10-year period to develop Community Doctor specialty.
- Health insurance reform: Currently, RTCCD is advocating for Essential Health package covered by health insurance in Vietnam. From 2015 to 2018, RTCCD is assigned by MoH to develop primary preventive health package. In 2016, RTCCD will be implementing a study on enhancing the governance of immunization to provide basis for immunization law.
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