On October 18^th 2011, Vietnam Public Health Association (VPHA) in co-operation with Front Review of the Central Committee of Vietnam Fatherland Front held Scientific workshop "The role of civil society organizations in the advocacy for the implementation of health policy in Vietnam" in Hanoi. The workshop aimed at sharing experiences in the advocacy for the implementation of health policy, also discussing about the role and capacity of civil society organizations in this field.

At the workshop, VPHA shared “Strengthening the implementation of health policy through the implementation of reproductive health care policy for adolescent and youth model in Dong Thap”. The results and experiences from the deployment of VPHA’s model show that in order to promote the implementation of health policy, it’s necessary to advocate to get the support of leaders, departments, accelerate the process of planning and supervising the implementation of health policies. Besides, in order to create favorable environment for the implementation of policies, VPHA has conducted advocacy so that Dong Thap is eligible to receive support from the National Target Program on Reproductive Health, technically supporting some communication activities in the community.

After the presentation of VPHA, the representative of Dong Thap Health Services shared their reason why leaders of Dong Thap recognize the importance of reproductive health care for adolescents and youths. Besides, data showed the status of reproductive health care, the disturbing and inadequate issues taking place in Dong Thap and the experiences in deploying the model  recently. Dong Thap Provincial People’s Committee also suggest that the contribution of the VPHA and other civil society organizations in the process of policy implementation helped provincial leaders soon set priority to the reproductive health issues .

Beside the model of VPHA, the research “Prohibition of diagnosis and fetal sex selection: From policy to implementation” deployed in 2 provinces, Bac Giang and Dong Thap presented by HSPH in the workshop also showed difficulties and inadequacies in the implementation of  a health policy.

If these two mentioned presentations are about specific policies, the presentation on "The context and the emergence of some health policies" by Master Nguyen Duc Vinh - Deputy Director, Department of Maternal and Child Health – Ministry of Health show an overview of the activities, processes in general, the difficulties and experiences in policy implementation.

The discussion of the workshop has received many positive comments and experiences from the workshop participants. It was the sharing of Major General Tran Xuan Thu on policies for victims of Agent Orange, or comments of A. Professor Pham Duc Sang on the role of the parties involved in policy activities such as community-based organizations, civil society organizations, and the role of state. Besides, the representatives of the Association of Human Resources and the Talent, the Water Environment Association, etc. also have their comments at the workshop.

The information shared at the workshop shows that the active participation of civil society organizations in the process of advocacy and implementation of health policies will help policies quickly come to life, enhance the efficiency and sustainability. Hopefully, civil society organizations in Vietnam will develop the role of advocacy for the implementation of health policies which were issued in recent years by the Government, Ministry of Health, contribute to the protection and care of people's health.