People with disability and Elderly

Improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces sprayed with Agent Orange (Inclusion Project)

Themes:
  • People with disability and elderly
Project site:
*Inclusion 1: Quang Tri, Thua Thien – Hue, Quang Nam *Inclusion 2: Binh Dinh, Kon Tum *Inclusion 3: Tay Ninh, Binh Phuoc, Dong Nai
Period:
2021-2026
Total budget:
US$ 1.7 million
Funding:
USAID
Beneficiaries:
- Health workers receiving training - PwDs receiving services and assistive devices

Background

INCLUSION aims to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities, regardless of cause, in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent Orange (Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam, Binh Dinh, Dong Nai, Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, and Kon Tum), by expanding and improving rehabilitation and social services, enhancing policy implementation, and building service provider capacity of national and local government disabilities agencies as well as community disabilities organizations.

What are we doing?

Based on our competency and experience, MCNV mostly contributes to Inclusion in the area of capacity building for rehabilitation staff working in these aforementioned province’s hospitals and health centers. 

The capacity building is provided in the format of short term and medium-term training (6 – 9 months), continuing medical education course and virtual coaching in PT, OT, ST and basic rehab techniques.
The courses are conducted in coordination with several medical universities in Vietnam and also overseas (Australia, India etc).

MCNV has been playing a significant role in filling the gap of manpowers in new rehab specialization in Vietnam like OT and ST via supporting the establishment of OT and ST Bachelor & Master curriculum.
However, the Bachelor and Master level requires several years to complete, meanwhile there is a serious shortage of rehab staff in the aforementioned provinces. Therefore short-term and medium-term training, continuing medical education and virtual coaching are what MCNV focuses on, to address the scarcity as soon as possible.

In addition to capacity building – which are being implemented in all the three Inclusion projects, MCNV also contributes to the Inclusion 1 (in Quang Tri, Hue, Quang Nam) via developing rehab services for PwDs via providing home-based care, designing rehab packages and orthopedic instruments.
What we have achieved so far?

  • 17 physicians completed 6-month course in Basic rehabilitation
  • 89 health providers completed three 9-month courses in OT, PT, ST
  • 202 PwDs receive rehabilitation services, benefiting 79% of which in terms of function improvement