British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward delivers a speech at the launch of the Partnership for Global Health System Sustainability and Resilience (PHSSR) in Vietnam on November 18. (Photo: British Embassy in Hanoi)

Launched in Vietnam on November 18, the Partnership for Global Health System Sustainability and Resilience (PHSSR) aims to initiate a multi-sector effort to help health systems foresee, prevent, and adapt to the diverse health challenges the world faces.

In the pilot phase, running until January 2021, the project will be implemented in eight countries including the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Poland, and Vietnam, amongst which Vietnam is the only Asian country because of its unique health system experiences and expertise, including its effective COVID-19 response.

PHSSR’s Vietnam team will apply a new Framework developed by the LSE to conduct a rapid review of the country’s health system sustainability and resilience, and identify practical solutions to strengthen them for the benefits of Vietnamese people.

Policy recommendations from the pilot phase will inform The Great Reset – an initiative by the WEF – and be announced at its virtual event in January 2021.

British Ambassador Gareth Ward expressed his delight that the UK and Vietnam are both part of the Partnership’s pilot phase, exchanging knowledge and experience to enhance both countries’ health systems and be better prepared for future health crises. He looked forward to further advancing UK-Vietnam health cooperation and bilateral relations.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has been catastrophic, it also presents a brief window of opportunity to act, said AstraZeneca Vietnam Chairman & General Director Nitin Kapoor. The pandemic has generated unprecedented public awareness, and the political will to address global health issues, he said.

Vietnam’s decisive leadership and swift action in its pandemic response have been inspirational to the world, he noted, adding that his company expects to work closely with the Vietnamese Government and the Ministry of Health, among others, to maximise the project’s impact and increase local patients’ access to quality healthcare./.VNA