The cost of implementing Vietnam’s national plan of action for nutrition for 2017–2020

Hoang Van Minh; Vu Quynh Mai; Tran Tuan Anh; Nguyen Thuy Duyen; Le Danh Tuyen; Truong Tuyet Mai; Huynh Nam Phuong; Thahira Shireen Mustafa; Friday Nwaigwe; Do Hong Phuong; Hoang Van Minh; Vu Quynh Mai; Tran Tuan Anh; Nguyen Thuy Duyen; Le Danh Tuyen; Truong Tuyet Mai; Huynh Nam Phuong; Thahira Shireen Mustafa; Friday Nwaigwe; Do Hong Phuong

doi:10.3934/publichealth.2019.3.276

AIMS Public Health

2019, Volume 6, Issue 3: 276-290. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2019.3.276

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Research article

The cost of implementing Vietnam’s national plan of action for nutrition for 2017–2020

1.
Hanoi University of Public Health, No 1A Duc Thang street, Duc Thang Ward, North Tu Liem district, Hanoi, Vietnam
2.
National Institute of Nutrition, Hanoi, Vietnam
3.
Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, Switzerland
4.
UNICEF Viet Nam, Hanoi, Vietnam

Received: 20 May 2019 Accepted: 06 August 2019 Published: 20 August 2019

Background: There is an urgent need to carry out a costing exercise of the National Plan of Action for Nutrition (NPAN) 2017–2020 since the costing of nutrition-sensitive interventions was not entirely integrated and proved difficult to track the different sectors’ contributions to the nutrition program. Objective: To estimate the required budget for the activities of the NPAN in 2017–2020. Methods: A standard ingredients approach activity-based costing was employed from the provider perspective. Results: The budget amount required for the NPAN activities in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 would be US$ million 269.0; 310.5; 350.2 and 378.1, respectively. State budgets (especially from Ministry of Health) would be the main funding source for the NPAN. The budget required for implementing nutrition-sensitive interventions would be the largest share (more than 90%) while less than 10% are required for nutrition-specific interventions. The four interventions requiring the largest budget proportion (in 2020) included 1) Micronutrient supplementation (28.3%); 2) Breastfeeding & complementary feeding (21.9%); 3) Treatment of severe acute malnutrition (15.6%); and 4) Disease prevention and management (13.4%). Conclusions: Based on the data from Vietnam National Health account and the data on GDP of Vietnam, the total required budget for the Vietnam NPAN 2017 (USD millions 5,082) as shares of the State budget for health, total State (Government) budget, and GDP would be 5.29%, 0.49% and 0.14%, respectively. From the estimation, Vietnam represents the nutrition strategy which prioritized on nutrition-sensitive actions, similar to most of the SUN Movement member countries.
- nutrition policy,
- Vietnam,
- cost allocation,
- developing countries,
- national health programs
Citation: Hoang Van Minh, Vu Quynh Mai, Tran Tuan Anh, Nguyen Thuy Duyen, Le Danh Tuyen, Truong Tuyet Mai, Huynh Nam Phuong, Thahira Shireen Mustafa, Friday Nwaigwe, Do Hong Phuong. The cost of implementing Vietnam’s national plan of action for nutrition for 2017–2020[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2019, 6(3): 276-290. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2019.3.276

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Abstract

Background: There is an urgent need to carry out a costing exercise of the National Plan of Action for Nutrition (NPAN) 2017–2020 since the costing of nutrition-sensitive interventions was not entirely integrated and proved difficult to track the different sectors’ contributions to the nutrition program. Objective: To estimate the required budget for the activities of the NPAN in 2017–2020. Methods: A standard ingredients approach activity-based costing was employed from the provider perspective. Results: The budget amount required for the NPAN activities in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 would be US$ million 269.0; 310.5; 350.2 and 378.1, respectively. State budgets (especially from Ministry of Health) would be the main funding source for the NPAN. The budget required for implementing nutrition-sensitive interventions would be the largest share (more than 90%) while less than 10% are required for nutrition-specific interventions. The four interventions requiring the largest budget proportion (in 2020) included 1) Micronutrient supplementation (28.3%); 2) Breastfeeding & complementary feeding (21.9%); 3) Treatment of severe acute malnutrition (15.6%); and 4) Disease prevention and management (13.4%). Conclusions: Based on the data from Vietnam National Health account and the data on GDP of Vietnam, the total required budget for the Vietnam NPAN 2017 (USD millions 5,082) as shares of the State budget for health, total State (Government) budget, and GDP would be 5.29%, 0.49% and 0.14%, respectively. From the estimation, Vietnam represents the nutrition strategy which prioritized on nutrition-sensitive actions, similar to most of the SUN Movement member countries.

Acknowledgments

This work was done in collaboration with Vietnam National Institute of Nutrition, under the technical and financial supports from UNICEF Vietnam. Technical support was also provided by the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement Secretariat and Helen Connolly (American Institutes for Research). We also express our thanks to the following the institutions/organizations for providing technical support and/or the data: The Department of Preventive Medicine and Thanh Hoa's, Vinh Long's and Thai Nguyen's Preventive Medicine center, Department of Child care and protection (Ministry of Labor Invalid and Social Affaire); Working Women Department (Vietnam Trade Union); Ministry of Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; FAO Vietnam, Health Bridge Vietnam, GAIN Vietnam, Save Children Vietnam, Vietnam World Vision; Alive & Thrive Vietnam and Helen Keller International Vietnam. This work was financially supported by UNICEF.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no potential conflicts of interests.

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