In Viet Nam, the WHO Country Office (WCO) is making great strides in improving health outcomes, supported by the Core Predictable Country Presence (CPCP) element in the Country Office Strengthening Action Plan. CPCP helps to ensure that WHO has the right expertise and capacity to address health challenges, respond to emergencies and strengthen partnerships. It has added capacity and much-needed “bandwidth” in the WCO Viet Nam, which is helping the WCO to in its work to make a real difference in people’s lives.
Zumrad Sagdullaeva joined WCO Viet Nam as a Partnerships Officer under a CPCP-funded position in mid-2024. In just a few months, she has played a key role in mobilizing resources and building strong partnerships. Angela Pratt, WHO Representative in Viet Nam, praised her contributions:“Zumrad has really hit the ground running in her first few months in Viet Nam, quickly adding huge value – and much needed additional bandwidth – to the team's work in a range of key areas. In particular, Zumrad’s presence has helped to expand key partnerships and identify important resource mobilization opportunities in the climate change and health portfolio, a critical area of work for WHO in Viet Nam.”
Through tailored “partner intelligence”, which builds on WHO’s global Contributor Profiles and adapts them to the country’s unique context, the Partnerships Officer ensures that partner engagements are well informed and aligned with shared priorities. As part of this initiative, a comprehensive Partners Database is also under development to facilitate multisectoral collaboration and resource mobilization.
The CPCP role has proven especially critical in times of crisis. After Typhoon Yagi in September 2024, Zumrad and the team developed a US$ 612 000 UN Joint Programme proposal to support affected communities. Reflecting on the experience, she shared: “It has been particularly fulfilling to help strengthen WHO’s position and leadership in emergency response as part of the UN Country Team’s humanitarian response structure, as I led the consolidation of the UN Joint Programme proposal on the Typhoon Yagi response. I received appreciation not only from my WR but also from UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women who I worked closely with in this endeavor.”
As Partnership Officer funded by CPCP, Zumrad helps WCO Viet Nam’s work not only meet urgent needs but also support long-term health initiatives. WCO Viet Nam successfully mobilized 600 000 Australian dollars from DFAT to address HIV/AIDS treatment needs through a swift and coordinated proposal process. Similarly, the team supported the development of a US$ 6 million proposal with the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) to support underfunded programmes on climate change and health.
Collaboration has also extended across UN agencies, fostering a spirit of partnership. The CPCP-supported role has enhanced inter-agency resource mobilization efforts through two joint WHO-UNDP conceptual frameworks to tackle air pollution and public procurement challenges. WCO worked closely with UNDP and UNICEF to co-lead an integrated offer on climate and health, which we hope will be included in Viet Nam’s 2025 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) 3.0 under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. These initiatives reflect a shared commitment to improving health outcomes in Viet Nam through collective action.
In addition to driving strong partnerships, the CPCP role ensures compliance with WHO’s Framework of Engagement with Non-State Actors by due diligence and risk assessment for partnerships. At the same time, collaboration with the communications team has amplified donor visibility, sharing success stories that inspire further support.
CPCP is more than a structural framework – it helps to ensure WCO Viet Nam has the right people and skillsets in place to deliver impactful results. By enabling WCO Viet Nam to respond swiftly and effectively, CPCP strengthens WCO Viet Nam’s ability to continue to address health challenges, improve health outcomes, bringing hope and better health to millions of people.