Vietnam is now globally-recognized for its impressive response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with fewer than 400 confirmed cases in six months (only 106 of which were transmitted in Vietnam) and zero deaths since the first case arrived from China on January 23. Key elements included strong and consistent national leadership; strict border controls; aggressive case-finding and isolation; determined contact-tracing and quarantine even to three degrees of separation; availability and scale-up of quality laboratory testing; and transparent and frequent public communication. Such strong rapid response was possible only because the country systems and public health and clinical workers were well-prepared.
Over the past 15 years, USAID has played a vital role in helping Vietnam achieve such strong capacity, through its Emerging Pandemic Threats program, to raise the quality and availability of laboratory services; train staff in prevention and detection of infectious disease threats; build capacity to respond effectively to outbreaks; foster multi-sectoral collaboration; and other initiatives implemented with Government of Vietnam through USAID partners.
So What? Years of preparation and strengthening of the public health sector helped to fortify Vietnam’s impressive response to COVID-19, which bodes well for future challenges.