Prior to 1997 Infection Control (IC) was unknown in Viet Nam. The first national IC Regulation for hospitals was developed and officially released by the Ministry of Health (MOH) Viet Nam in 1997. Since this historic moment the MOH has continued to improve and establish an effective and functional nation-wide IC system. Communicable disease outbreaks such as SARS and A/H5N1 have highlighted the importance of IC in disease prevention and control. To date, 111 cases and 56 deaths from A/H5N1 have been reported in Viet Nam. To address these real concerns the MOH has collaborated closely with the World Health Organisation to rapidly enhance national capacity for IC. Key activities have been to revise and update IC regulations and to develop a National IC Master Plan (NICMP) 2009-2015.

With the vision to have a national IC system functioning at all health facility levels, the NICMP is a strategic document that encapsulates the core components for IC including legislation, policy, infrastructure and training to create a safe hospital environment. To ensure that the strategy is practical and applicable the MOH has invested time to review the current national situation and conduct an extensive consultation. This process can serve as a valuable learning tool for other developing or developed countries and can be applicable at all levels of government.