Making the Links: From Saskatchewan to Vietnam

Xin chào from Lexi, Maia, and Zoe! We are medical students with the University of Saskatchewan who had the privilege of traveling to Vietnam through the Global Health Certificate program.

During our time here, we worked with the Research and Training Centre for Community Development (RTCCD), participating in one iteration of a 13-year partnership between the RTCCD and the University of Saskatchewan. We contributed to health education initiatives, visited neighbouring communities to support First Aid training sessions, and were given the privilege of representing Saskatchewan’s College of Medicine at the Canadian Embassy in Hanoi. We also had the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with staff and learn more about the history and culture of this beautiful country.

Vietnam has been a reunified independent country since 1975 following a long history of colonial rule under French occupation and a sustained struggle for national independence and self-determination. Despite these challenges, Vietnam exemplified values of national unity and resilience, and in recent decades, has made substantial advancements in economic and social development. These efforts have contributed significantly to reductions in poverty, and access to essential services like health care and education for citizens across the country. 

The RTCCD is a locally led organization established with the goal of investigating practical and effective approaches to address inequities in Vietnam. For the last three decades, they have conducted policy-oriented research about health and poverty in Vietnam, addressing upstream causes of health inequities and providing a platform for advocacy in community development.

They have made significant strides in development of systems and education surrounding health policy, maternal and child health, mental health, environmental health, and social work. The RTCCD has also pioneered a parenting education program called the Early Journey of Life (EJOL), providing parents with evidence-based online workshops to address healthy child development in the first 2000 days of life. During our time working with RTCCD, we assisted in the creation of educational videos for rural communities regarding appropriate use of antibiotics, micronutrients, and the importance of healthy eating habits for children.

We are deeply grateful for the warm welcome, generosity, and knowledge shared with us over the past five weeks. This experience has been both humbling and formative, and we will carry forward many lessons about community-led development, health equity, and the importance of partnership in global health work.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this experience possible. 

Additonal photos: 

We had the incredible opportunity to visit Thuy An Rehabilitation Centre for people with disabilities. Over two days we worked alongside staff from RTCCD as they facilitated a First Aid training course for students with hearing impairments and staff of the facility.

We met with the Canadian embassy representatives to discuss the longstanding partnership between RTCCD and the University of Saskatchewan. Our discussion focused on opportunities to strengthen the collaboration through future funding, support for ongoing projects, and shared efforts to advance health equity. It was inspiring to learn more about the impactful work RTCCD has accomplished and to explore how Canadian institutions can continue to support and build meaningful partnerships that promote inclusive health and community development in Vietnam.

Making the Links - Certificate in Global Health is a program that prepares students admitted to the College of Medicine and School of Rehabilitation Science with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to help them work competently with marginalized under-served communities locally and globally.