2001 ANNUAL REPORT
Analyzing family planning and reproductive health services in Vietnam

In 1988, Population Council researcher Robert Miller and his colleagues working in Africa developed situation analysis, a practical technique for pinpointing problems in many types of service delivery. Researchers employ interviews, inventories, and observations of provider–client interactions to gather data on adequacy of training, staffing, equipment, supplies, readiness to provide services, and quality of care. Findings from a representative sample of facilities can be used to estimate the needs of the whole system and to develop and test feasible responses. 

A client (right) meets with a health care provider at a commune health station in Vietnam.

Recently, Council researchers collaborated with the government of Vietnam to conduct a situation analysis of public-sector reproductive health services in eight provinces. “This work, along with our past assessment of private-sector services, provides a comprehensive view of service provision in Vietnam,” says Council senior medical advisor Vu Quy Nhan, the lead investigator on the study. 

Researchers found that the system in Vietnam was generally prepared to deliver a wide range of reproductive health services to women. Basic equipment, supplies, and essential drugs were available. In the year before the analysis, most staff members had received refresher training on family planning, antenatal care, postpartum care, and child care. And posters and leaflets on a variety of topics were displayed.

However, there were some gaps in readiness, notably in contraceptive supplies and quality of care. Contraceptive choice was limited and the lack of condoms was a frequent complaint. Providers seldom asked crucial questions on such topics as prior pregnancies and history of reproductive tract infections. Provider counseling skills were weak and the level of privacy was inadequate. Moreover, basic infection control techniques, such as washing hands and disinfecting instruments, were often overlooked. 

“As a result of these findings, such upgrades as private counseling rooms and improved infection control techniques have begun appearing in some clinics,” says Le Thi Phuong Mai, who was the deputy director of the project. “The United Nations Population Fund is also using the results to develop intervention projects to help further improve services in the provinces we studied.”

Vu Quy Nhan is a senior medical advisor in the International Programs Division.

Le Thi Phuong Mai is a program officer in the International Programs Division.

Robert Miller is a senior program associate in the International Programs Division.