The AACB Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists has for some years been active in supporting quality assurance programmes in Vietnam. The current project has been running for four years and the AACB has provided lecturers, workshops and other educational activities during this period. During this project, the AACB has also paid for five laboratories nominated by the VACB to be enrolled in the Australian Quality assurance program. In addition, the AACB and VACB jointly ran a program is which sixty laboratories were introduced to Quality Assurance by assaying two samples. These laboratories were provided with result feedback and enrolment certificates. The AACB has also provided various international expert lecturers to visit Vietnam and to provide lectures on topics of laboratory Quality Improvement.

In a letter to the VACB from the AACB President dated 7 November 2008, it was noted that both the VACB and AACB have recently expressed a wish to expand the Quality Assurance program by providing samples to 120 laboratories throughout Vietnam. This will assist Vietnam develop the capacity and capability for its own future national External Quality Assurance Program. The expansion of this program is receiving financial support from the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC).

The AACB commitment to this program is that the AACB will:

1. Source the material and dispatch it to Vietnam.
2. Assist the VACB to organise seminars in Vietnam on the introduction of Quality Assurance and provide lecturers for these seminars. There would be a series of seminars in various centres at the beginning of the program described above explaining how to treat the QA samples, submission of results, interpretation of results, etc.
3. Provide expertise in helping the VACB develop the data analyses for the program.
4. Provide technical support and expertise during the program such as members of the AACB being available to correspond with individual laboratories if they have any concerns with the program.
5. Assist the VACB to organise seminars in Vietnam at the end of the program and provide lecturers for these seminars. Again there would be a series of seminar in various centres at the conclusion of the program to explain the results, conclusions and the next phase.

The VACB has responded positively to this offer. The effort will involve the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, VACB and the Ho Chi Minh University (and Hospital) of Medicine/ Pharmacy who will work in collaboration with most provinces, universities and hospitals around Vietnam.

While many individuals within the AACB and VACB have contributed to the success of this program, we particularly wish to acknowledge the work of Dr Renze Bais (AACB), and Dr Vu Quang Huy (VACB), who have acted as their respective points of national Society contact and coordination.