Leveraging Local Resources for Oral Health Care Reform in Central Vietnam

The East Meets West Foundation (EMW) is an international development agency devoted to the creation of sustainable solutions for difficult development problems. Active primarily in Southeast Asia, EMW conducts programs in education, water, sanitation, and health, including a dental program in Vietnam that combats adverse effects of dental disease and poor oral hygiene. EMW commissioned the Capstone team to assess the feasibility of adapting the program to World Health Organization guidelines which emphasize utilization of local resources in preventative dental care. The team conducted focus groups, interviews with key informants, and surveyed more than 400 respondents within commune, district, and provincial health providers to produce a comprehensive list of policy and service delivery recommendations. Reforms encouraged a more prevention-based and sustainable approach and focused on how EMW can utilize existing capacities and resources to improve oral care for underserved children throughout central Vietnam.