Vietnam-Sweden Health Partnership Forum: Promoting a humanitarian cooperation sector
WVR - On January 28, in Stockholm, the Vietnamese Embassy in Sweden organized the Vietnam-Sweden Health Partnership Forum in a hybrid format, connecting Stockholm and Hanoi.
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| Overview of the Vietnam-Sweden Health Partnership Forum. |
This significant event marks the beginning of a series of activities celebrating over 50 years of healthcare cooperation between Vietnam and Sweden, reaffirming the commitment of both nations to deepen their healthcare partnership in the new phase.
The forum was attended by Mr. Johan Ndisi, Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam; Ms. Michaela Hollis, State Secretary for Health and Social Care, Ministry of Health and Social Affairs of Sweden; Ms. Karin Tegmark Wisell, Global Health Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden; Mr. Dang Van Tan, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Health of Vietnam; Professor Bob Harris, Vice President of Karolinska Institute; along with representatives from healthcare facilities, universities, research institutes, and numerous experts and scholars from both countries.
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| Vietnamese Ambassador to Sweden Tran Van Tuan speaking at the Forum. |
In his opening remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador to Sweden Tran Van Tuan emphasized the special significance of the event at the beginning of 2026, serving as an opportunity to reflect on more than 50 years of Vietnam-Sweden healthcare cooperation and to usher in a new phase of equal, substantive, and co-development partnership.
The Ambassador affirmed that despite geographical distance, the connection between Stockholm and Hanoi is a vivid testament to a cooperative relationship built on strategic trust, deep understanding, and shared humanitarian values.
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| Guests attending the Forum. |
Reflecting on the history of bilateral relations, Ambassador Tran Van Tuan highlighted that Sweden was the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam in 1969. Based on this foundation, healthcare cooperation has become one of the most exemplary and sustainable areas of collaboration between the two countries, with significant contributions such as the National Children's Hospital and the Vietnam-Sweden Uong Bi Hospital, which have played a crucial role in healthcare and medical human resource training in Vietnam.
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| Speakers posing with Ambassador Tran Van Tuan. |
In the context of global healthcare systems facing challenges such as an aging population, rising non-communicable diseases, cross-border epidemic risks, and increasing demands for healthcare quality, the Forum serves as an opportunity for parties to exchange, share experiences, and seek substantive cooperation directions.
Vietnam is advancing healthcare governance modernization and digital transformation to enhance system efficiency, expand service access, and improve patient experience.
Meanwhile, Sweden's strengths in public health, system governance, innovation, and data-driven care models provide a favorable foundation for enhanced cooperation between the two sides.
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| Delegates attending the Forum. |
The Forum is a concrete activity implementing the outcomes of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's official visit to the Kingdom of Sweden in June 2025, where both countries agreed to strengthen and deepen the Strategic Partnership framework in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation.
On this basis, healthcare cooperation is identified as a priority area, serving as a bridge between scientific research, technology application, and practical healthcare, aiming for sustainable development with a people-centered approach.
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Speaking at the Forum, Swedish representatives including Ms. Michaela Hollis, State Secretary for Health and Social Care, Ministry of Health and Social Affairs of Sweden; Ms. Karin Tegmark Wisell, Global Health Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden; and Mr. Johan Ndisi, Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam, all affirmed that healthcare is one of the long-standing, deep, and humanitarian cooperation areas in Vietnam-Sweden relations.
The representatives emphasized the importance of a partnership-based cooperation approach, transitioning from support to co-creation, and highly valued the potential for cooperation between the two countries in public health, system governance, innovation, perinatal medicine, and maternal-child healthcare.
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| Ms. Karin Tegmark Wisell, Global Health Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden speaking at the Forum. |
The Swedish side expressed the desire to continue strengthening connections between regulatory agencies, healthcare facilities, universities, and research institutes of the two countries, thereby promoting substantive cooperation programs in the next phase.
In the thematic sessions, scholars and healthcare experts from both countries shared valuable experiences and research findings. Speakers from Karolinska Institute, Lund University, and leading healthcare facilities in Vietnam emphasized the importance of linking scientific research with clinical practice, particularly in perinatal medicine, pediatrics, and multidisciplinary maternal-child care.
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| Ms. Michaela Hollis, State Secretary for Health and Social Care, Ministry of Health and Social Affairs of Sweden speaking. |
Many opinions suggested that building inter-institutional, inter-university cooperation models, standardizing processes, and training specialized teams are key to improving treatment quality and reducing patient complications.
Scholars highly appreciated cross-border cooperation models between Vietnam and Sweden in improving treatment outcomes for children, including the field of cleft lip and palate.
According to experts, the "co-do – co-transfer" approach, combining team training, expert consultations, and long-term monitoring, not only yields better treatment outcomes but also contributes to sustainable capacity building for Vietnam's healthcare system.
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| Swedish speaker presenting at the Forum. |
Representing the Ministry of Health of Vietnam, Mr. Dang Van Tan, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, affirmed that the Ministry of Health of Vietnam always values and prioritizes promoting cooperation with Sweden in the healthcare sector.
He emphasized that the discussions at the Forum align with the development orientation of Vietnam's healthcare system in the coming period, particularly in enhancing care quality, fostering innovation, and developing medical human resources.
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| Vietnamese speaker presenting at the Forum. |
The Vietnam-Sweden Health Partnership Forum created an open and substantive dialogue space between policymakers, scientists, and healthcare experts from both countries.
The Forum is expected to catalyze numerous initiatives and specific cooperation programs, contributing to improving healthcare quality for the people and promoting Vietnam-Sweden cooperation to become deeper, more effective, and sustainable.
(Source: Embassy of Vietnam in Sweden)
