Help developing human resources at the minimum level of 20% of total dietitians or nutrition specialists required in Vietnamese hospitals

Since 2013, we have been working to establish a nutrition system and education for dietitians in Vietnam. The 1st result was to help start the first-ever nutrition-dietetics bachelor course at Hanoi Medical University (HMU) in 2013. The second was the legal enactment of the job code for dietitians in 2015. Thirdly, in 2020, we could see the MOH Minister Circular on mandatory provisions to place one dietitian or nutrition specialist per 100 hospital beds in hospitals.

We set up a goal, in accordance with the above regulation, to help develop nutrition professionals at a minimum level of 20% (500 persons) of total dietitians or nutrition specialists required in Vietnamese hospitals by 2025, which needs a total of 2,500 professionals nationwide.

For the above goal to be achieved, we will;

1) Develop educational and training materials and tools for university students and the staff in the nutrition department in hospitals in Vietnam, for example;

- Textbook series for nutrition basics, theories and practice,

- Guidelines in accordance with international standards and to support clinical practices for diabetes patients, etc.

- Software to support education and training, as well as nutrition management

- Food sample or Food pictures with nutritional information

2) Hold workshops every year to encourage hospital executives and medical staff to recognize the importance of nutrition in hospitals and clinics. At the early stage, we will focus on Nutrition Support Team (NST) as the beginning of Interprofessional Work (IPW).

3) Make a survey on the situation of education for dietitians in universities and their competency, of which result will be utilized for our strategy.

4) Promote internship and training of professionals between Vietnam and Japan

5) Support research to show the evidence that nutrition professionals function effectively to alleviate or to solve nutritional and heath problems in Vietnam.