Research and training partnership to assist
food safety in Vietnam and Cambodia
The 15th International Symposium of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics
Chiang Mai, Thailand
13 November 2018
Hung Nguyen-Viet, Tuyet-Hanh Tran Thi, Phuc Pham Duc, Dang Xuan Sinh, Fred Unger,
Tum Sothyra, Chhay Ty, Teng Srey and Delia Grace

Presentation outline
• Translational research in food safety in
low- and middle-income countries (LMIC)
• Vietnam experience
• New development in Cambodia
• Conclusions

http://aghealth.wordpress.com

Food safety in Vietnam
• Food safety is among the most
pressing issues, more important than
education or healthcare.
• Vietnam has a modern food safety
legislation system but the use of risk
based approach is limited.
• Risk perception towards chemical
hazards is important; issue of risk
communication.
• Food exports relatively well managed
but deficits in domestic markets.
• Vietnam government is actively
responding to food safety concerns.

Task force of risk assessment for food safety in
Vietnam
• Linking research to policy
• Task force: composed of
experts from universities,
research institutes,
policymakers from the
ministries (health, agriculture)
• Risk analysis capacity
development for researchers
and policymakers
• Task force now
institutionalized and
sustainable

Capacity building impact: curriculum
development and training
• Guidelines on food safety risk
assessment: more accessible and
understandable; in use in 17
universities, seven cities
• Curriculum developed to teach 200
students per year: majority of future
food safety human resource
• Training of veterinary and public
health staff at ministry level
• Hands-on training on risk assessment
for researchers and students

Scientific impact: evidence that counts
• Published a special
edition, key papers on
food safety
• First-ever quantitative
health and economic
burden of foodborne
diseases. Supports
evidence-based decisions
• Risk communication to the
public and policymakers

Food safety working group
• Goal: To contribute to improved food safety in
Vietnam and increased competitiveness of
Vietnamese food products for domestic
consumption and international trade.
• Government agencies and development partners.
• Over 40 organizations registered; the network is
actively engaged and contributed to food safety
response efforts in Vietnam.

Working with the World Bank and partners on Vietnam food
safety risk assessment report (2016–17)

Policy impact: Translational research for
interventions in modernizing food system
• CGIAR/ILRI niche: Risk assessment
and policy/regulatory analysis for
fresh foods in domestic markets
• World Bank convenes overall
support to government: ILRI led
technical work
• Upcoming projects based on World
Bank report we led will improve
food safety for 20 million people in
three major cities of Vietnam

Interactions with policymakers

Investments in food safety can save lives and $$$
• 94 million people
• Cases of foodborne diseases
by Salmonella in pork at 17%:
16 million get sick
• Cost $107 to treat a case:
$1,709 million (0.8% GDP)
• Intervention to reduce 20%
burden: $340 million SAVED

Safe Food, Fair Food for Cambodia

1. Risk profiling
• Scoping visits
• Systematic literature
review
• Risk profiles
• Training in risk ranking
• Stakeholder prioritization
2. Generate
evidence on FBD
Five urban survey
study
QMRA
Markets
Cost of
Illness
Household
Nutrition
3. Develop and test solutions for
wet markets
RCT intervention
Task force
Gender TOC
NutritionImpact

Strengthening food safety in Cambodia: Establishment of food safety
technical working group for food safety
• Inter-ministerial Prakas 868 (2010) on the implementation and
institutional arrangements of food safety based on the farm-to-
table approach has mandated six ministries to share the
responsibility for food safety.
• However, each ministry still manages food safety through separate
systems. Even though coordination and information sharing across
sectors has been in place, this is still ad hoc and very limited.
Objective: To enhance systematic sharing of information and routine
communication in the field of food safety across sectors: Multi-
sectoral technical working group for food safety

Stakeholder consultation
Task force – December 2017

Task force: translational
research
• Support existing food safety technical
working group of Cambodia
• Risk assessment expertise and case studies
• Linking to other projects on food safety
• Training
• Avoid duplication of effort

Conclusions: Take-home messages
• Risk-based approach capacity building in
food safety
• Alliance in research to generate evidence
• Food safety policy influence: persistence,
opportunistic and time sensitive

Acknowledgements

This presentation is licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
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