5 Ways that USAID Supports Vietnam’s Fight Against TB

USAID is working to end tuberculosis in the country by 2035

A woman leaves a mobile TB clinic. / FHI 360

Vietnam is one of the 20 countries designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as having the highest estimated new tuberculosis (TB) and drug-resistant TB cases on an annual basis.

USAID partners with Vietnam’s National TB Program, private sector, and community-based organizations to work toward the goal of ending tuberculosis in Vietnam by 2035 through innovative TB detection, treatment, and prevention efforts. As of December 2023, USAID activities provided screening services to over 1.4 million people at risk, and diagnosed over 26,000 people with TB.

Read how USAID is partnering with Vietnam to meet this ambitious goal.

Health workers using AI Chest X-ray system. / FHI 360

1.USAID partners with Vietnam to deploy the highly effective “Double X” diagnostic strategy, which combines chest X-rays and rapid bacterial testing to detect TB more accurately and rapidly. USAID works with Vietnam’s National Tuberculosis Program, in collaboration with the Global Fund, to scale up the Double X strategy nationwide to diagnose and treat people with tuberculosis, improve preventative measures, and reduce transmission.

A man being screened for TB. / FHI 360

2.USAID supported Vietnam’s National TB program to upgrade its electronic TB surveillance system to improve real-time analysis, TB program management, and care for individuals with TB. This fully integrated electronic information system comprises data and management modules on TB and drug-resistant TB as well as TB infection case finding, detection, and treatment.

In Vietnam, USAID is partnering with the country’s National TB Program, the private sector, and community-based organizations to build up rapid testing for TB. / FHI 360

3.USAID helped Vietnam to use cutting edge tools in mobile TB detection clinics to increase the detection of TB. These tools include new screening and diagnostic tools like Chest X-rays with artificial intelligence analysis, and rapid molecular diagnostic tests (Xpert and Truenat), which any health worker can use with basic training to improve TB diagnosis.

A woman receiving a TB skin test. / FHI 360

4.Working with the Government of Vietnam’s National Tuberculosis Program and the Department of Health Insurance, USAID helps to sustain uninterrupted treatment for individuals with TB by supporting the inclusion of TB services in Vietnam’s social health insurance, ensuring that affordability is not a barrier to treatment. By the end of 2023, 100% of public TB treatment facilities from national to district levels started providing TB services under social health insurance.

Nurse Le Thi Cam Giang at the An Tinh Commune Health Centre. / FHI 360

5.USAID works with the Vietnamese government to update national guidelines on TB, drug-resistant TB, and TB infection management. The new guidelines will allow the TB system to apply new WHO-endorsed tools and regimens to improve the quality of TB detection, treatment, and prevention services in Vietnam.

About the Author

Benjamin Ilka is the Creative Advisor at USAID’s Mission in Vietnam.