DISABILITY REHABILITATION INCLUSION | MOVEABILITY | 1

Mrs Nguyễn Thị Hải Giang received support from MoveAbility in

Nov 2016. She is the winner of a writing competition.

VIET NAMThe Vietnamese government ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2015, and is revising national legislation regarding disabilities. The Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MOLISA) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) both conduct activities for people with disabilities, while the Vietnamese Training Center for Orthopedic Technology (VIETCOT) trains prosthetists and orthotists.

Cooperation between the MOLISA and the ICRC, began in 1989, focusing on orthopedic assistance for people with disabilities. MoveAbility took over from the ICRC in 1995, and we have expanded our activities since then. In 2002, we began our partnership with the Viet Nam Red Cross Society (VNRC), with whom we work to identify and follow-up on people in need of physical rehabilitation services. Partnerships on identifying such people have been extended to three Disabled People’s Organizations (DPOs) in Danang, Ho Chi Minh City and, Can Tho. We also work with another DPO, the Action to the Community Development Center (ACDC), on advocacy-related matters.

Although Viet Nam’s economy has been improving over the past few years, people with disabilities – primarily caused by past conflict – still lack funds for medical care. The situation is particularly acute in poor rural areas.

MOVEABILITY’S PARTNERS IN VIET NAM*

• Action to the Community Development Center (ACDC)• Can Tho Orthopaedic & Rehabilitation Center• Can Tho Association of People with Disabilities (CAPD)• Danang Orthopaedic & Rehabilitation Hospital • Danang Disabled People Organisation (Danang DPO)• Disability Research & Capacity Development (DRD), Ho Chi

Minh• Ho Chi Minh Rehabilitation Center, Ho Chi Minh City• Ministry of Health (MOH)• Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MOLISA) • Quy Nhon Orthopaedic & Rehabilitation Center• Vietnamese Training Center for Orthopedic Technology

(VIETCOT), Hanoi

*Presented in alphabetical order

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YOUR JOURNEY BY MY SIDE

Mrs. Nguyễn Thị Hải Giang is a disabled Vietnamese woman who received support from MoveAbility to access services in November 2016 through Danang DPO. She won a writing competition in 2017 for her novel, “Your Journey By My Side”.

In her story, she shares her journey as a disabled person. She first refused to be equipped with an assistive device, but years after, she confesses her device became a “friend”.

My mother once told me: the cold winter months became warmer and happiness seemed to bloom with my first cries of life, increasing along with my first words and steps. Yet waking up one morning, I couldn’t stand steadily on my two feet, I cried and wailed while dragging myself around the house with agonisingly painful legs. Thus our happiness was fractured. My family struggled and fought to get me help, but this only led me to limp, my body bending completely on one side. In order to take a step I had to rest my arm on my leg, using it as a point of support. This resulted in my spine being extremely deformed, making it even harder for me to walk...

Read about Mrs. Giang’s recovery on the MoveAbility website: moveability.icrc.org

Mrs. Giang has found new meaning in her life, thanks to her assistive device, which she calls her “friend”.

OUR APPROACH IN VIET NAM

PARTNERSHIP AND COORDINATION MECHANISMSSince 1995, MoveAbility has had a strong and fruitful partnership with MOLISA and the VNRC. It has led notably to the improvement of the skills and expertise of physical rehabilitation professionals, the promotion of the polypropylene technology and increased access to services and products for people with disabilities.

From 2014 onwards, we have been expanding our collaboration with other actors in the field of rehabilitation. We notably collaborate with Disabled People’s Organizations (DPO) allowing us to reach destitute persons with disabilities and to promote dialog between the DPOs and the service providers.

ADRESSING LONG-TERM ISSUESMoveAbility’s work in Viet Nam also aims to address long-term issues: first, the inclusion of the most vulnerable disabled people in the social protection system of the financial support currently provided by MoveAbility and other organizations; and, secondly, the absence of policies regarding assistive devices, due partly to the lack of a centralized database.

DISABILITY REHABILITATION INCLUSION | MOVEABILITY | 3

NATIONAL PLANWe facilitated the involvement of MOLISA and MOH adopting a Universal Health Coverage approach to health care, starting with a comprehensive national survey on mobility aids, with ultimate goal of establishing a national strategic plan to improve the rehabilitation sector and further promote social protection for people with disabilities.

EDUCATION AND TRAININGStudents and professionals in the rehabilitation sector have received scholarships and training. Our support materialized in a three-year extension of VIETCOT accreditation by the ISPO. The adoption of Universal Health Coverage includes the criteria for recognizing paramedical professions (e.g. prosthetists and orthotists) and we are helping VIETCOT prepare for the increasing demand for qualified professionals.

QUALITY OF SERVICESThe combination of service user satisfaction survey by DPO

and technical assessment by VIETCOT senior staff has been implemented, leading to an improvement of the quality of services. Norms and procedures more in line with international standards have been adopted in MOLISA-run rehabilitation centers.

ACCESS TO SERVICESThanks to the advocacy of DPO, the Ministry of Health has issued a list of assistive devices covered by the State health insurance. We have provided support to regional DPOs and to the Vietnamese Red Cross to improve access to quality services for people from rural areas.

MANAGEMENT CAPACITIESVietcot staff used the Essential Managment Package (EMP) and conducted an assessment of their management (EMSAT). Based on the results of these activities, the school prepared specific actions and plans to improve its management systems and support similar processes in other rehabilitation centers.

MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE 2016

*0 - 15 years old

PEOPLE WHO RECEIVED SERVICES FROM OUR PARTNERS 1

BENEFICIARY STATISTICS 2016–2017

Crutches

Wheelchairs

Orthoses

Prostheses

ASSISTIVE DEVICES PROVIDED BY OUR PARTNERS

BREAKDOWN OF PEOPLE WHO RECEIVED SERVICES

* *

* *71+16+7+6+E 62+18+11+9+E71% 62%

16% 18%

7% 11%

6% 9%

4,5973,448

2016

2016

2016

20172

20172

20172

1  Services include: prosthetics and orthotics, physiotherapy, other rehabilitation services and consultations. The final beneficiaries data as reported by the partners in the field.

2  As reported in October 2017, extrapolated to year end.

2,625

1,988

2,457

2,651

1,119

2,654

114

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BUDGET 2018

CHF 935,084BUDGET 2016–2018

CHF 2,833,877

34%

19%

28%

14%

5%

National Plan

Education and training

Access to services

Quality of services

Management capacities

RESOURCE ALLOCATION

PLANNED ACTIVITIES FOR 2018

NATIONAL PLAN > Together with the national authorities, we will continue to support the national study on mobility devices

and the establishment of a national body for managing the physical rehabilitation sector > Advocate for inclusion of prostheses in national health insurance coverage > Support the accreditation of professional schools by national authorities and international organizations > Work towards the development of a physical rehabilitation policy platform composed of all stakeholders > Support the inclusion of professional prosthetists and orthotists in the national rehabilitation professional

organization

EDUCATION AND TRAINING > Train professionals in assistive devices technology > Build capacities of orthopaedic training schools to respond to national and/or regional needs > Allow students to have access to scholarships to continue their education > Develop innovative teaching approaches and up-to-date content for professional schools

QUALITY OF SERVICES > Ensure that national authorities adopt quality control mechanisms matching international standards > Support the renovation of VIETCOT facility, if requested

ACCESS TO SERVICES > Strenghten cooperation with the Paralympic Committee for better access to sport activities > Enable economically vulnerable people to access physical rehabilitation services

MANAGEMENT CAPACITIES > Strengthen the participation of the Vietnamese Red Cross and DPOs in the physical rehabilitation sector > Train local DPOs > Conduct training on the Essential Managment Package in one MOLISA rehabilitation center