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Decisions in the procurement and effective management of equipment contribute to determining the capacity of health facilities in treating COVID-19 patients specifically and providing oxygen therapy in general. The objective of the study is to describe systems for procurement and management of medical equipment and supplies in Vietnam in general and for care and treatment of COVID-19 patients in particular, including medical oxygen.Data collected in this study will help the Vietnam Ministry of Health and PATH analyze current procurement practices, explore strategies, and provide the technical support needed to increase access to respiratory care for patients in need in Vietnam. The data collected will also help describe current systems for procurement and management of medical equipment, supplies, and medical oxygen in health facilities at different levels of the health system in Vietnam. Understanding how to manage medical equipment and supplies in general and respiratory care equipment specifically can help mobilize or reallocate equipment among health facilities effectively, especially in emergencies. This information can be used for decision-making and recommendations for future procurement and management of medical equipment and supplies.

Medical devices are often neglected in health system planning, despite playing a critical role in diagnosis and treatment of numerous medical conditions. Since 2016, PATH has worked with the Indonesia Ministry of Health (MOH) and local partners to strengthen access to medical devices, including assessing availability of respiratory care equipment, establishing an oxygen working group and facilitating its participation in an international convening. In 2021, PATH focused on strengthening COVID-19 respiratory care response efforts and improving access to a broader range of maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) devices. This factsheet provides additional details on these critical efforts.

As the backbone of health systems, primary health care is where smart investments and improvements in accessibility, availability, and quality are direly needed—not only to prevent and manage COVID-19, but also to protect against future outbreaks and accelerate progress toward health for all. We must work across sectors to protect communities by maintaining essential health services, leveraging ingenuity and innovation to adapt primary health care, and ultimately building stronger, more resilient health systems.In this brief, we present the work we are doing in partnership with governments and communities around the world to help reduce the impact of COVID-19 and protect the essential services and opportunities that can accelerate long-needed shifts toward more people-centered and multidisciplinary primary health care systems that will last long past when this crisis abates.

Private companies have limited incentive to develop products that address poverty-related diseases such as malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis because the chances of technical failure during development are high and the potential for profit may be minimal. But over the past two decades, a critical tool has emerged to help address this gap: the product development partnership (PDP), which brings together public, private, academic, and philanthropic expertise and funding to develop and deliver global health products that would otherwise have little or no chance of coming to market. Many of these PDPs take a portfolio-based approach, spreading investments among multiple companies to increase the probability that at least one viable product will emerge to meet the need. This paper examines one successful PDP effort, PATH’s G6PD Diagnostic Initiative, to highlight key factors that can lead to challenges and contribute to success. Although each PDP is unique, and PDPs can vary greatly in scale, scope, and the number and configuration of partners, many of the lessons from this initiative are broadly applicable to other global health efforts and may be helpful to funders, product developers, policymakers, and researchers as they consider engaging in PDPs.

The key objective of this report is to provide an overview of the respiratory care equipment supplier landscape in Vietnam. This document was jointly produced by PATH and the Vietnam Ministry of Health Cabinet Office to provide buyers with a preliminary assessment of respiratory care equipment availability in Vietnam’s domestic market. For each type of product, the document includes a list of suppliers, general and specification considerations, and product price range.Products covered in this report are equipment and consumables necessary for the provision of medical oxygen, such as oxygen concentrators, ventilators, patient monitors, pulse oximeters, and delivery interfaces.Audiences who may find this report useful include local government decision-makers, such as ministries of health; health facility procurement officers; and global organizations, such as multilateral agencies. Information in this report could offer insights into product offerings, pricing information, and supplier capacity. The document may also benefit distributors and wholesalers of RC equipment who can derive a deeper knowledge of the competitive landscape for their services and potential market opportunities.This market report focuses primarily on Vietnam distributors and manufacturers of respiratory care equipment. The information was collected between July and November 2021. Any information should be taken as indicative only and should be verified with individual suppliers by the buyers at the relevant stage in the procurement process.