Projects

The main objective of the Hoi An Foundation is to improve health care in Viet Nam. We are the first health-oriented charity in the central province of Quang Nam, an area with a population of 1.4 million. We achieve this objective through direct health care to the neediest subset of the population and by improving the existing health care system through training and capacity-building of the local health care workers and to the patients we treat. We focus on the needs of the vast majority of Vietnamese, who are of the lowest economic class, living in the countryside, and disabled. Our projects include:

Diabetes and Hypertension Reform. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports non-communicable diseases (such as diabetes and hypertension) as the number one cause of death in Viet Nam. We have worked long and hard in Quang Nam province in central Viet Nam in order to improve chronic disease management by visiting and training health care providers in 32 clinics and treating over 3000 patients in our health care improvement program.  We are happy to report that our project has grown into a joint collaboration with the WHO and the Viet Nam Ministry of Health.  This January 2011, we signed a contract with the WHO and the Viet Nam Ministry of Health to begin a pilot project for two communes in Phu Tho Province, outside of Hanoi. This pilot project is an implementation of our protocol for diabetes and hypertension diagnosis, treatment, and management.  Diabetes is not well understood in Viet Nam. It is largely unmanaged due to minimal education of diabetes in medical schools. Hypertension is rampant and is found in over 1/3 of adults in Viet Nam. This is due to the lack of education about the disease with poor management and poor treatment.  Hypertension is known as the silent killer and many people do not know they have it until after they have life changing strokes and heart attacks. Our protocol for this pilot project includes proper training of health care providers at the commune level, patient education and proper usage of cost effective medications for diabetes and hypertension in Viet Nam. Preliminary findings of our project have been so positive that we, in collaboration with the WHO and the Viet Nam Ministry of Health, are expanding our protocol implementation province wide covering 21 more communes. This is very exciting for us and our goal of health care reform is beginning to take shape!

Health Care Improvement.  We maintain a local Hoi An Foundation clinic where we see many local disadvantaged patients including those with disabilities. We diagnose, manage and treat many illnesses including, arthritis, cancers, thyroid disorders, functional disorders, such as polio and cerebral palsy, and pain disorders.  We find most of our adult cardiac patients by simply doing basic physical exams. In addition, we also see many disadvantaged pediatric patients by working closely with CHIA, an Australian-based charity.

Pediatric And Adult Heart Disease. We work with adults and children with congenital and acquired heart disease. This involves examining them with a cardiac ultrasound and liaising with western pediatric cardiologists and in-country surgeons to get the necessary corrective procedure. The surgeries are all paid for by private donors.

Pediatric HIV. Pediatric HIV treatment is available in the north and south of Viet Nam, but is untreated in the poor areas of central Viet Nam. We are working with the government in the province capital to provide care and medication to these children and are trying to increase awareness for the families and the children.

In addition to this, our foundation participates in other projects related to health care, including:

Critical Care. We work with ICU doctors from Bach Mai in Ha Noi and Danang General Hospital to help improve the care of critically ill patients. At Bach Mai, we work close with Dr. Carl Bartecchi and the Bach Mai Project, providing equipment as well as training to the poison control center, emergency room and ICU. In the Danang General Hospital, we are training the physicians on infection control in the ICU and introducing protocols on ventilator management. We also conduct teaching rounds with the doctors in training.

Street Childrens Center. We provide health screenings and ongoing care to the children at the Street Childrens Center in Hoi An.

All of the projects of the Hoi An Foundation are made possible only through the hard work of many volunteers and collaboration with both local and international charities. Please visit our Accomplishments link to see our progress.

 

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