As part of the EM-THRIVE Project [1] – Enabling Mountainous and Rural Children From Five Provinces in Vietnam to Grow and Thrive, the Quang Ninh Provincial Centre for Disease Control (CDC) continued its capacity-building activities for communal-level health workers by organizing the fourth training course at the Van Don District Health Center from 14 to 16 October 2025.
The training brought together 28 Communal Health Workers (CHWs) from 14 commune health stations across the district.
Commitment Despite Challenging Geography
Due to Van Don’s island geography, several participants came from remote island communes such as Co To, Minh Chau, Quan Lan, and Thang Loi.
Many CHWs had to travel by boat for 2–3 hours to reach the training site, yet all participants arrived on time, attended fully, and showed great enthusiasm throughout the course.
At the opening ceremony, Dr. Nguyen Thanh Tuan, Deputy Head of the Reproductive and Maternal Health Department, Van Don District Health Center, emphasized:
“The first 2,000 days of life form the foundation for a healthy and happy future. Enhancing the counseling and parenting guidance skills of health workers is not only a professional duty but also a social responsibility of every communal health practitioner.”
Experience Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Drawing from previous training courses and supportive supervision visits in other districts, provincial trainers from Quang Ninh CDC shared practical experiences and discussed the challenges and lessons learned from past implementation.
Communal health workers also contributed valuable feedback and suggestions to further improve upcoming training sessions.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Cam, MSc, shared:
“Quang Ninh is one of the five provinces implementing the EM-THRIVE program, and I truly believe the province will succeed and bring real benefits to children — helping them grow smarter and stronger. Once Quang Ninh gathers scientific evidence from this implementation, the model can be scaled up and integrated into the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) in 15 other provinces, and eventually adopted nationwide.”
Practical and Heartfelt Learning
The three-day training concluded successfully with active participation from both trainers and learners.
The sessions were filled with positive energy and the dedication of Communal Health Workers committed to improving children’s development — the future of the nation.
Nurse Pham Thi Thanh, from Ha Long Commune Health Station, shared:
“When I received the practical toolkit — with dolls, toys, and wooden blocks — I was truly happy that this program goes beyond nutrition and focuses on helping our children become smarter. We are all eager to share what we’ve learned with colleagues at our stations and integrate it into upcoming immunization sessions.”
Although the course has ended, its impact will continue to spread throughout Van Don district. Each Communal Health Worker will accompany parents so that every child can grow up healthy and develop to their full potential.
Some Highlights from the Training Course
