The bilateral Vietnamese/German Cooperation in the health sector focuses on strengthening provincial health systems with the assistance of both, German Financial Co-operation (FC) as well as German Technical Cooperation (TC).

The purpose of the program is to improve access of the population, particularly of the poor and disadvantaged, to decentralised,
demand-oriented quality services of the provincial health system in five selected provinces (program 2006: Yen Bai, Thanh Hoa, Phu Yen; program 2008: Nghe An and Thai Binh). This is to contribute to an improved health situation of the population in the respective provinces. The TC support is geared towards improved human and institutional capacities with regard to health system management as well as curative and preventive health service delivery. The purpose of the FC-support is to improve the technical operation in selected health facilities of the provincial health system so as to meet the required standards and needs of the target population and to operate in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. It comprises the financing of medical equipment as well as training measures to improve maintenance and medical waste management.