University of Sydney researchers have unveiled two public health projects in Hanoi, Vietnam, at an event hosted by the University of Sydney Vietnam Institute.
The event in Hanoi highlighted the vital work University of Sydney scientists and health researchers are undertaking with partners in Vietnam and South-East Asia to improve health outcomes.
The two-day forum on 4 and 5 September was attended by representatives from the Vietnam Ministry of Health, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the World Health Organization Vietnam (WHO Vietnam), the Food and Agriculture Organization Vietnam (FAO Vietnam), the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre (SSEAC), the Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute (Sydney ID), the Centre for Research Excellence in Tuberculosis (TB-CRE), the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre in Tuberculosis, Vietnamese hospitals, and universities: partners of the University of Sydney and the University of Sydney Vietnam Institute.
The projects unveiled were the SAPPHIRE (Sydney Asia-Pacific Partnership for Health Innovations and Resilient Ecosystems) Vietnam and Cambodia program, which will focus on tuberculosis detection and prevention; antimicrobial resistance (in health and agriculture); and chronic lung disease; and the APCOVE (Asia-Pacific Consortium of Veterinary Epidemiologists) program, training veterinarians and animal handlers to spot emerging diseases.
Both are funded by the Australian Government, through the Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative.
Australia's Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam, Renée Deschamps, attended the forum. She said: "I am delighted to see the collaboration between University of Sydney and health partners in Vietnam to build more resilient health systems that can address current and future health challenges.
"Non-communicable diseases, antimicrobial resistance, tuberculosis, and zoonotic disease are the top threats to global health. Therefore, the Australian Government is proud to support projects such as SAPPHIRE and APCOVE, which will not only benefit Vietnam, but also many neighbouring countries.
"We cannot have a peaceful, stable and prosperous region without improving the health and wellbeing of our region's communities".
SAPPHIRE partnership for public health
Project lead for SAPPHIRE is Professor Greg Fox, a professor in respiratory medicine at the Sydney Medical School in the Faculty of Medicine and Health; Director of the Sydney Vietnam Academic Network; and Research Leader of the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research.
Professor Fox said: "Tuberculosis, chronic disease and antimicrobial resistance are urgent public health issues in Vietnam.
"For anti-microbial resistance, SAPPHIRE will help scale-up stewardship programs in 40 district healthcare facilities in Vietnam; adopt a 'One Health' approach to understanding antibiotic use in agriculture and healthcare; and develop programs to mitigate excessive antimicrobial use."
SAPPHIRE's chronic diseases program will support the ongoing scale-up of Vietnam's 2015-25 National Non-Communicable Disease control strategy. This will focus on chronic respiratory disease and cancer by expanding lung disease support in four provinces, assist with smoking cessation strategies, and build radiology capacity in five provinces.
Professor Fox said: "Tuberculosis remains endemic across Vietnam. We are partnering with the national TB program to build community screening and develop robust analysis to expand new diagnostics for drug-resistant TB in Vietnam."
APCOVE animal disease detectives
The Asia-Pacific Consortium of Veterinary Epidemiology, or APCOVE, project is focused on training 'animal disease detectives' in the Asia-Pacific region. The consortium of 50 researchers is working across eight countries to train veterinarians and animal handlers to identify potential sources of zoonotic disease before it emerges as a public health problem.
The program has been running successfully for four years and received further funding in 2024.
APCOVE lead, Associate Professor Navneet Dhand from the Sydney School of Veterinary Science, will unveil the Vietnamese language training package of the APCOVE project.
"Most emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, meaning, they spread from animals to humans," said Associate Professor Dhand, director of APCOVE and a member of the research leadership team of the Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute.
"Therefore, to protect human populations, it is crucial to monitor these pathogens and diseases upstream in domestic animals and wildlife before they transfer to the human population."
APCOVE has developed a world-class field training package designed to help veterinary practitioners and animal handlers detect and prevent infectious diseases in the field before they emerge as pandemics. It is funded by the Australian Government's Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security.
Funding for SAPPHIRE and further funding for APCOVE was announced by the Hon. Senator Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, in separate announcements this year.
About SAPPHIRE
SAPPHIRE project is a partnership between the University of Sydney and leading government, public health, academic and policy organisations throughout the Asia-Pacific. The overall project focuses upon strengthening tuberculosis control, planetary health, management of chronic diseases and combating antimicrobial resistance in Vietnam, Cambodia, Fiji and Kiribati.
SAPPHIRE will support the scale-up of evidence-based health interventions in the healthcare sector and the community. The program will establish Australia as a trusted partner through strong institutional partnerships, in-country capacity, and timely strategic advice. Our partnership supports:
- Tuberculosis detection and prevention
- Antimicrobial resistance (in healthcare and agricultural settings)
- Chronic lung disease (including chronic lung disease and cancer screening)
The findings from the SAPPHIRE project will inform policy development and implementation, contributing to significant improvements in health outcomes across the Asia-Pacific region.
About APCOVE
APCOVE is a consortium of more than 50 veterinary epidemiologists, established to strengthen field veterinary epidemiology capacity in the Asia Pacific region.
APCOVE works with government animal health authorities and educators in the Asia-Pacific region and helps train animal disease detectives to detect, prevent and control animal disease outbreaks that may impact human health, animal health and farmer livelihoods.
APCOVE is led by the University of Sydney and includes veterinary epidemiologists from all veterinary schools in Australia and New Zealand and animal health experts from eight countries in the Asia Pacific.
In Vietnam, the APCOVE project is coordinated by Dr Phuc Pham Duc from the Institute of Environmental Health and Sustainable Development (IEHSD), Dr Pham Thanh Long from the Department of Animal Health, Dr Pawin Padungtod from the FAO Country Office for Vietnam and Dr Thi Thu Tra Vu from the Vietnam National University of Agriculture.
About the Sydney Vietnam Institute
The University of Sydney Vietnam Institute serves as a vital bridge for research cooperation between Australia and Vietnam, demonstrating the University of Sydney's commitment to advancing scientific and societal development, contributing to the prosperity of both nations.
The Institute envisions creating a network of leading researchers and educators across various fields, working together to develop solutions that improve lives, society, and the environment.
