Reduce Smoking in Vietnam Program

The “Reduce Smoking in Vietnam Partnership” is a research, policy and capacity-building project involving the Institute for Global Tobacco Control of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Vietnam Committee for Smoking and Health of the Ministry of Health (VINACOSH). The grant, awarded by Atlantic Philanthropies, supports capacity building, policy development and research programs for relevant ministries and tobacco control agencies (both local and civil societies) within Vietnam. Through VINACOSH, the project coordinates tobacco control projects and training sessions with a wide range of stakeholders, including the ministries of Health, Finance, Trade, Education, Information and Culture, Industry, and Transportation, as well as mass unions such as the Women’s Union, Trade Union, Farmer’s Union and health and medical associations. 

The overall goal of the project is to change the social norm of tobacco use and to build capacity for relevant ministries and tobacco control agencies within Vietnam to effectively conduct, monitor and advocate for tobacco control programs. 

Specific Aims

• Develop enabling national policies to reduce tobacco use that are supported within national ministries and consistent with FCTC
• Increase the capacity of selected ministries to propose, design, plan, implement and evaluate tobacco control prevention programs
• Increase the capacity of the Ministry of Health to conduct national monitoring, surveillance and reporting of the tobacco epidemic in Vietnam