Building climate-resilient hospitals in Viet Nam

In Viet Nam, many health care facilities, including the Yen Thanh District General Hospital, face severe challenges, such as an unreliable clean supply of water, energy insecurity and inadequate waste management, all exacerbated by climate change. These issues, which affect nearly half of the country's health care facilities, increase the risk of disease transmission and disrupt health services, as seen during Typhoon Yagi in September 2024, which damaged over 800 health care facilities.

In response, the World Health Organization (WHO), through technical support, has collaborated with the Ministry of Health’s Health Environment Management Agency (VIHEMA) since 2021 to implement a comprehensive pilot programme that is addressing these challenges by improving water supply, energy efficiency, waste management and infrastructure at three hospitals. The pilot has significantly improved patient safety and care, with Yen Thanh District General Hospital increasing its water supply capacity by four times, providing 200 cubic metres of water per day. This has led to a reduction in disease transmission risk and allowed the hospital to perform more medical procedures. Additionally, the installation of solar energy systems has enhanced climate resilience, with all systems continuing to deliver safer health care.

The pilot has focused on four key components: water, sanitation and hygiene, along with health care waste management; capacity-building and awareness-raising; energy efficiency and green energy solutions; and enhanced infrastructure, technology and products. WHO’s intervention took a tailored, flexible approach, ensuring that each hospital received support based on its unique needs and local context. For example, Yen Thanh District General Hospital was facing a severe water supply shortage, with only 25% of the required water capacity for its operations.

Through engagement with VIHEMA, the hospital administration and the local community, a collaborative solution was found: the community allowed the hospital to access water from a nearby stream, with pipes routed across their land. This partnership, supported by WHO, enabled the hospital to increase its water supply by four times, ensuring that its needs were met year-round.

This intervention not only addressed the immediate water shortage but improved overall waste management, contributing to better sanitation and reducing the risk of infectious diseases. Energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy were key components of the project. WHO supported the installation of solar energy systems at Yen Thanh District General Hospital, marking a significant milestone as the first district hospital to utilize solar panels in its operations. This installation, which is still under monitoring, has already proven effective in reducing energy costs and boosting the hospital’s resilience to power outages and other climate-related disruptions. The success of this initiative has led to a shift in perception within health care facility leadership regarding the viability and benefits of green energy in health care settings.

Throughout the implementation process, WHO’s approach remained highly adaptable, continuously assessing the needs of each facility and adjusting interventions accordingly. The pilot project emphasized capacity-building by investing in staff training to manage and maintain the new systems, ensuring that the improvements would be sustainable in the long term. After more than four years of operation, the water supply system and the solar energy systems, installed in October 2024, have contributed to delivering safer health care, making hospitals better equipped to handle future climate-related challenges.

Yen Thanh District General Hospital now provides 200 cubic metres of water per day, a fourfold increase, significantly improving its capacity to perform medical procedures and reducing the risk of disease transmission. The impact of these interventions extends beyond immediate improvements in health care delivery, contributing to the long-term resilience of the facilities and the broader health system in Viet Nam.

Key lessons from the pilot include the importance of local stakeholder engagement, the flexibility of interventions based on specific local needs, and the critical role of ongoing evaluation in adapting strategies to evolving circumstances. Additionally, raising awareness and effectively communicating the benefits and urgency of climate-resilient infrastructure are essential.

These lessons will inform future WHO projects in Viet Nam and other countries facing similar challenges. The pilot’s success has laid the foundation for future collaborations, as WHO continues to work with the Ministry of Health and other partners to scale up these interventions across the country and develop national guidelines on environmental sustainability and climate resilience in health care facilities. By fostering local capacity and ensuring the sustainability of these improvements, WHO is helping Viet Nam build a more resilient health care system capable of addressing future health challenges in a changing climate.

Efforts to support sustainability and long-term implementation include water quality monitoring during the project's development and after its completion. Training on the water and sanitation for health facility improvement tool (WASH-FIT) was also provided, and facilities took the initiative to continue these trainings for their workforce after the project concluded. To ensure further implementation and expansion, it is necessary to work closely with the national network of regional health institutes, which are responsible for training and disseminating guidelines for climate-resilient health care facilities nationwide.

WHO will continue supporting Viet Nam in scaling climate-resilient health care solutions, working with government partners to integrate these interventions into national policies. The pilot’s success has demonstrated the viability of sustainable water, energy and waste management systems in hospitals, informing future national guidelines on environmental sustainability in health care. Viet Nam’s participation in WHO’s Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health further reinforces its commitment to climate adaptation. By expanding these efforts, the country can strengthen its health infrastructure, ensuring safer, more resilient care in the face of climate change.