YHP Vietnam

Location

Cau Giay, Long Bien, Hai Ba Trung and Dong Anh Districts of Hanoi, capital of Vietnam.

Timing

Phase I 2023-2025

Phase II 2026 - 2028

The local context

According to the WHO, NCDs accounted for 77% of all deaths in Vietnam in 2018.1 In 2014 and 2011, NCDs were estimated to account for 73%2 and 75%3 of all deaths in Vietnam respectively, indicating a plateauing or slightly increasing trend in the prevalence of NCDs. Vietnam’s population is estimated to be more than 97 million in 20204, and young people aged 10-24 years constitute about 21% of the population.5 The WHO estimated the probability of premature death (between 30 and 70 years) from NCDs in 2018 at 17% (23% men, 11% women)6 in Vietnam, the same as the 17% estimated in 2014.7 Cardiovascular disease and cancer are the most prevalent causes of NCD-related death, accounting for 31% and 19% respectively.8

Our objectives

Supporting young people aged 12–24 years old to improve their health and wellbeing and adopt behaviours that can prevent non-communicable diseases in later life.

Our focus

YHP Vietnam will reach 50,963 direct beneficiaries, with an additional 700,000 indirect beneficiaries reached through wider awareness raising activities.

Our programme

The programme uses four interrelated and mutually supporting strategies:

1. Young people have increased knowledge and capacity on NCD prevention to protect and promote their long-term health.

YHP Vietnam trains and supports Peer Educators to lead health promotion activities on nutrition, physical activity, mental health, tobacco and e-cigarette prevention, and air pollution awareness. Young people take part in interactive classroom sessions, school-wide campaigns, creative performances and youth-led advocacy activities that strengthen leadership, communication and healthy lifestyle behaviours.

2. Communities are informed and mobilised to provide a safe and supportive environment that facilitates healthy behaviour among young people.

The programme works with parents, teachers, school leaders and communities to strengthen understanding of adolescent health and wellbeing. Activities include parent engagement sessions, school campaigns, media outreach and awareness raising initiatives that promote supportive, inclusive and gender-responsive school environments. 

3. Health services have the capacity to support the health of young people, including accessible and quality youth-friendly services.

YHP Vietnam supports schools to strengthen youth-friendly health services through training for teachers and school health staff, upgrading school health units and improving access to safe and inclusive health spaces. This includes the establishment of menstrual hygiene corners, nutrition information boards and spaces that promote physical activity and wellbeing.

4. Laws and policies support NCD prevention and promote the broader health of young people.

The programme works closely with government ministries, schools and technical partners to strengthen national school health systems and policies. YHP Vietnam contributes evidence, technical guidance and youth perspectives to support the integration of nutrition, physical activity and NCD prevention into future school health frameworks and policy development.

Our achievements

The programme builds on the success of the previous YHP in Vietnam.

From April 2023 to December 2025, YHP Vietnam has:

  • Reached more than 61,000 young people directly through peer education and school-based health promotion activities.
  • Trained and supported 700 Peer Educators to deliver health promotion activities in schools and communities.
  • Engaged more than 2,400 adults, including parents, teachers, health professionals and community leaders, through training and awareness raising activities.
  • Supported schools to strengthen youth-friendly health services through upgraded health units, menstrual hygiene corners and sports corners.
  • Contributed to technical guidance and national policy discussions on school health, mental health and NCD prevention in collaboration with government and technical partners.
  • Reached more than 1.1 million people indirectly through community outreach, social media campaigns and national media engagement. 

Our partners

Plan International Vietnam, with over 20 years’ experience of working with young people in Hanoi, will be responsible for the overall implementation of the programme.

Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) is a government agency performing the function of state management of preschool education, general education, intermediate pedagogical education, college-level pedagogical education, higher education and other educational institutions regarding: educational goals, programmes, content; regulations on examination, enrolment and diplomas and certificates; development of teachers and education managers; school facilities and equipment; quality control and accreditation of education quality; state management of non-business public services within the Ministry's state management scope.

Hanoi Department of Education and Training (Hanoi DoET) is a government agency authorised by the Hanoi People’s Committee to manage the city education system, including secondary and high schools with adolescent girls and boys and teachers and school officials.

Further information

Learn more about our past programmes here.

References:

1. WHO: NCD Country Profile, 2018 https://www.who.int/nmh/countries/vnm_en.pdf?ua=1

2. WHO: NCD Country Profile, 2014 https://www.who.int/nmh/countries/2014/vnm_en.pdf?ua=1

3. WHO: NCD Country Profile, 2011 https://www.who.int/nmh/countries/2011/vnm_en.pdf?ua=1

4. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=VN, accessed in February 2022

5. UNFPA, State of the World Population 2019 https://www.unfpa.org/data/world-population/VN

6. WHO: NCD Country Profile, 2018 https://www.who.int/nmh/countries/vnm_en.pdf?ua=1

7. WHO: NCD Country Profile, 2014 https://www.who.int/nmh/countries/2014/vnm_en.pdf?ua=1

8. WHO: NCD Country Profile, 2018 https://www.who.int/nmh/countries/vnm_en.pdf?ua=1