Social Prescribing and Internal Migration in Viet Nam: How Could Care Navigation Help Migrant Workers and Families Access Local Health and Community Support?

Social Prescribing and Internal Migration in Viet Nam: How Could Care Navigation Help Migrant Workers and Families Access Local Health and Community Support?

Consider a woman who moves to a new city for work. She has health insurance and needs regular follow-up for a long-term condition, but she does not know which healthcare facilities are suitable near her new home. Her working hours change each week, making appointments difficult to arrange. Her child may join her later, bringing questions about schools, healthcare and family activities.

She has supportive colleagues, a stable income and close relationships with relatives in her hometown. She is not necessarily socially isolated or financially vulnerable. What has changed is her familiarity with the local services and people she once relied on.

A list of telephone numbers might help, but it may not be enough. A conversation with someone familiar with the local system could make it easier to identify suitable services, find reliable information and decide whom to contact.

This is one situation in which care navigation might make a practical difference. Social prescribing could also be relevant if the woman wants to develop local relationships, participate in community activities or find other forms of non-clinical support.

Internal migration has long been part of Viet Nam's economic and social development. People move for employment, education, family responsibilities and new opportunities. Many settle successfully without needing additional assistance.

The question is whether some people experience avoidable difficulties when navigating unfamiliar local services, and whether better connections between existing healthcare, social services and community resources could help.

Internal Migration in Viet Nam Is Changing

Internal migration generally involves changing one's usual place of residence within the same country. It is different from international migration and does not include every journey made for work, education or personal reasons.

Someone who commutes regularly, travels for a short assignment or temporarily visits relatives may not be classified as an internal migrant under the definitions used in population statistics. These distinctions matter when interpreting national data.

In December 2025, Viet Nam's National Statistics Office published Internal Migration in Viet Nam, 2009–2024, drawing on national population and labor-force data with financial and technical support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).[1]

The report estimated approximately 3.8 million internal migrants during 2019–2024, compared with around 6.4 million during 2014–2019. Its statistical definition covers people aged five years and older whose usual place of residence changed between specified administrative units over the preceding five-year period.

These figures should not be interpreted as the total number of people working away from their hometowns or moving temporarily. They also do not indicate how many migrants experience difficulties accessing healthcare or community support.

The report identifies changing migration patterns, including the growing importance of shorter-distance movement and an increasing proportion of migrants originating in urban areas. Urban-to-urban migration accounted for approximately 37.5% of internal migration during 2019–2024, while rural-to-urban movement remained significant.

Internal migration is therefore more varied than the familiar picture of workers leaving rural communities for major cities. People may relocate between urban centers, move to nearby industrial areas, return to their home provinces or change residence more than once.

The National Statistics Office also acknowledges limitations in the available evidence, particularly concerning migrants' detailed living and working conditions. The report uses the administrative geography that existed before Viet Nam's provincial restructuring in 2025.

These findings provide useful context for understanding population mobility, but they cannot establish whether social prescribing or care navigation would benefit a particular group.

Finding Support in an Unfamiliar Place

Moving does not automatically interrupt healthcare or social support. Many people settle into their new communities without significant difficulties, especially when they know the area or have relatives, friends or colleagues who can provide practical information.

Others may find that the services they previously used are less convenient or unfamiliar after relocation.

Someone managing diabetes or hypertension may need to identify an appropriate healthcare facility for continuing care. A person recovering from surgery may have questions about where follow-up appointments should take place. A parent may need to learn which local services are available for a child.

The circumstances differ, but the practical challenge is similar: knowing where to begin.

The nearest healthcare facility may not provide the required service. An official procedure may be available online, but the person may not know which website offers reliable instructions. A community organization may provide useful activities, yet newcomers may never hear about them.

Working arrangements can make access more difficult. A service available during ordinary office hours may not be convenient for someone working rotating shifts or living far from their workplace.

Relocation can also change the informal relationships through which people obtain information. In a familiar neighborhood, someone may know which clinic to visit, whom to ask about public services or where community activities take place. After moving, that local knowledge may need to be rebuilt.

Care navigation could help when the main difficulty involves finding trustworthy information, understanding available options or making contact with an appropriate organization.

Sometimes a brief conversation and an official information source may be sufficient. In other situations, an introduction to a service provider could help someone take the next step.

However, navigation cannot overcome every barrier. If a needed service is unavailable, unaffordable or unable to accept new participants, making a referral does not solve the underlying problem.

A responsible approach would begin by understanding what is preventing access rather than assuming that everyone who moves needs a navigator.

Where Could Social Prescribing Help?

The World Health Organization's 2022 toolkit describes social prescribing as an approach that connects people with non-clinical community services to support health and well-being. Depending on local circumstances, these may include social activities, exercise opportunities, peer support and other community resources.[2]

For someone who has recently relocated, social prescribing may be relevant when their personal priorities involve developing relationships, becoming more physically active or participating in community life.

A worker who wants to exercise regularly might be interested in a local group that meets outside working hours. A parent unfamiliar with the neighborhood may welcome information about suitable family activities. Someone who enjoys volunteering may wish to explore opportunities to contribute to the local community.

These are possible examples, not services that can be assumed to exist in every locality.

The starting point would be a conversation about what matters to the individual. Some people may prefer information they can use independently, while others may appreciate assistance making initial contact.

Social prescribing and care navigation are closely related, but the terms are not interchangeable.

Care navigation is a broader function that can help people understand and connect with relevant services. In some social prescribing models, link workers also provide navigation assistance when it is needed to support a person's goals. However, helping someone locate an insurance authority or residence-registration office does not automatically make that activity social prescribing.

The distinction matters because different activities involve different professional and institutional responsibilities.

When the underlying concern requires medical assessment, professional social work or a formal administrative decision, the responsible service must take the lead.

The fact that someone has moved is not, by itself, a reason to offer social prescribing. Its relevance depends on the person's actual circumstances, preferences and goals.

Health Insurance and Residence Procedures Need Reliable Information

Healthcare access deserves particular attention because people may be uncertain about where to obtain continuing care or how health insurance arrangements apply after relocation.

Viet Nam's Law No. 51/2024/QH15 amended the Law on Health Insurance, with major provisions effective from July 1, 2025. Government Decree No. 188/2025/ND-CP, effective August 15, 2025, provides further implementation requirements.[3]

Vietnam Social Security has also published guidance on electronic and paper health insurance cards, which have equal legal validity under the applicable framework.

These developments can make some administrative processes more convenient. However, a person's actual entitlements depend on the relevant legislation, insurance participation, benefit category, healthcare services and individual circumstances.

Changing residence does not automatically mean that someone has lost health insurance coverage. Equally, holding a valid insurance card does not guarantee that every service at every healthcare facility will be covered on the same terms.

A navigator might help someone locate official instructions, identify the appropriate Vietnam Social Security contact point or understand where to ask questions about healthcare registration and insurance arrangements.

Such assistance should remain within the navigator's defined role. Insurance eligibility, reimbursement and related determinations belong to competent organizations and authorities. Clinical decisions remain the responsibility of appropriately qualified healthcare professionals.

Residence administration is another area where recently relocated people may need reliable guidance.

Viet Nam's Law on Residence No. 68/2020/QH14, as amended, remains central to the residence framework. Law No. 118/2025/QH15, which amended ten laws related to security and public order, including the Law on Residence, and Ministry of Public Security Circular No. 116/2026/TT-BCA introduced further provisions effective July 1, 2026.[4]

These changes include adjustments to residence procedures and the use of official information systems under Viet Nam's evolving administrative arrangements.

Following the restructuring of local government, contact details and responsibilities may also differ from those previously familiar to residents. Information directories can become outdated if they are not checked regularly against authoritative sources.

A navigation service could help someone identify the appropriate government contact or find current official guidance. It should not independently determine legal entitlements, present itself as an authorized administrative service or collect and use another person's digital credentials without appropriate authorization and a lawful basis.

Accurate information is valuable, but it should never be confused with the authority to make official decisions.

Families May Experience Migration Differently

Internal migration does not always involve an entire household moving together.

A worker may relocate alone while a spouse, child or older parent remains in another province. Another family may move together and need to establish new routines. Some children join their parents only after housing and employment become more stable.

The support people need can depend on these arrangements.

For a parent moving with a child, practical questions may involve healthcare, school enrollment, childcare and appropriate community activities. Someone living apart from family members may be more concerned with maintaining relationships across locations while developing a manageable routine near work.

These circumstances should not automatically be interpreted as signs of disadvantage.

UNICEF's 2025 report, 50 Years of Progress for Children in Viet Nam, reviews national achievements and continuing challenges across children's rights to survival, development, protection and participation.[5]

In August 2026, UNICEF published an assessment of local capacity to deliver social services for children under Viet Nam's two-tier local government model. Drawing on evidence from Dien Bien, Dak Lak, Da Nang and Can Tho, the report highlights the importance of maintaining accessible and continuous services as administrative systems change.[6]

These reports provide useful context for understanding children's needs and local service capacity. They do not establish that all children in migrant families experience similar difficulties.

Care navigation might help a parent identify an appropriate school contact, healthcare provider or family support organization. It could also help the family understand which questions require formal professional assistance.

Where a child needs medical assessment, safeguarding intervention or statutory protection, qualified professionals and competent authorities must lead.

Community-connected support can contribute to family well-being, but it cannot replace education, healthcare or child-protection services.

The Workplace Can Help, but Independence Matters

Employment settings may provide opportunities to make local service information more accessible.

An employer could include verified information about nearby healthcare facilities, public services and community activities in orientation materials for new workers. It might also cooperate with suitable independent organizations to make voluntary support easier to find.

Such arrangements may be useful for people who are unfamiliar with the area or whose working schedules make it difficult to seek information during ordinary office hours.

However, an employer's relationship with an employee is different from the relationship between an independent navigator and someone seeking support.

A worker may be reluctant to discuss a health condition, family concern or personal difficulty if they believe the information could reach a supervisor or influence employment decisions. This concern can exist even when the employer genuinely wants to help.

A workplace-connected navigation initiative therefore needs clear arrangements for independence, confidentiality and voluntary participation.

Workers should be able to decline assistance without employment consequences. Personal information obtained through support activities should not become available for routine employment management simply because an employer helps fund or communicate the initiative.

Where employers contribute funding or administrative support, participating organizations need to assess their responsibilities, information access and potential conflicts of interest.

Workers should also have opportunities to seek assistance outside workplace channels.

Trust depends not only on what organizations intend to do, but also on whether participants can make choices without unwanted disclosure or pressure.

What Happens When People Move Again?

One important feature of internal migration is that a person's current residence may not be permanent.

Someone may join a community activity near a workplace and later move to another district or province. A family may relocate when employment or housing arrangements change. A worker may return to their hometown after several years elsewhere.

A navigation pathway designed for people who remain in one location may not work well for those who move repeatedly.

Consider someone who has developed a useful relationship with a community organization. After changing jobs, the person moves too far away to continue attending. They would like to find similar support near their new home but do not know where to look.

One possible response would be to provide reliable information about comparable local resources. Where suitable arrangements exist, the organization might also offer a voluntary introduction to a relevant contact in the new locality.

Such support could make the transition easier without requiring a continuous relationship with the original organization.

However, not every community service is intended to operate across administrative boundaries. Some programs are designed for local participation, and their responsibilities may reasonably end when someone leaves the area.

Continuity should therefore be considered according to the service involved, the person's preferences and the capacity of participating organizations.

It should not mean that personal records are automatically transferred whenever someone moves.

Where information sharing is necessary and lawful, the individual should understand its purpose, what information is involved and who will receive it. Applicable consent requirements or another lawful basis for processing must be established as required.

People should also be able to end contact without being treated as though they have failed to complete a program.

The aim is to make useful support easier to find after relocation, not to create a system that follows or monitors people as they move.

What Does the Evidence Tell Us?

International research offers lessons for social prescribing and care navigation, but evidence directly evaluating these approaches among internal migrant workers and families in Viet Nam remains limited.

A 2021 systematic review by Zhang and colleagues examined 32 studies of social prescribing programs in the United Kingdom that included migrant participants.[7]

The authors found considerable variation in how programs were designed and delivered. Link workers sometimes undertook responsibilities beyond conventional navigation, particularly when participants needed practical help understanding unfamiliar services.

Improved confidence, empowerment and social connections were frequently reported. However, the overall body of evidence was of low quality. Findings concerning health outcomes and healthcare utilization were often anecdotal and lacked robust measures of effect.

The review emphasized the importance of individualized support, appropriate workforce preparation and stronger evaluation.

A 2026 scoping review published in BMJ Public Health examined 17 sources concerning access to social prescribing among adults from minority ethnic groups in the United Kingdom.[8]

It identified barriers involving limited awareness, language, cultural relevance and practical accessibility. Tailored approaches, community relationships and link-worker support were among the factors that could facilitate engagement.

These findings are relevant to service design, but they require careful interpretation. Minority ethnic status is not the same as migration status, and the circumstances of international migrants in the United Kingdom differ from those of Vietnamese citizens relocating within their own country.

There is also emerging Vietnamese research examining relationships between healthcare systems and labor migration.

A study by Vo and colleagues, published in BMC Health Services Research on October 13, 2026, analyzed longitudinal data from 2010 to 2018 to examine associations between healthcare service conditions in provinces of origin and subsequent work-related out-migration.[9]

The researchers found that greater medical-staff availability was associated with lower odds of subsequent labor migration in their models. However, the study was observational, and the findings do not establish a causal relationship.

The research contributes to understanding how local healthcare conditions relate to mobility decisions. It does not examine social prescribing or establish that care navigation improves access to services after relocation.

At the regional level, WHO's Western Pacific Regional Office highlighted in January 2026 that evidence from Asian social prescribing settings remains limited. It emphasized the need to develop and evaluate approaches that reflect local health systems, cultures and community resources.[10]

The United Kingdom's official migrant health guidance also offers lessons about person-centered support, navigation, appropriate referrals and the responsibilities of link workers.[13]

These international experiences may inform planning, but they cannot simply be transferred to Viet Nam.

The available evidence supports exploring whether care navigation could help people access unfamiliar services. It does not currently establish that a particular navigation model improves clinical outcomes, reduces healthcare costs or prevents service disruption among internal migrants in Viet Nam.

Those questions require local research and appropriate evaluation.

Professional Boundaries and Privacy Must Be Clear

Any structured navigation initiative needs to recognize the legal and professional responsibilities of existing services.

Helping someone identify a healthcare contact is different from providing clinical assessment. Explaining where official insurance information can be obtained is not the same as determining eligibility. Introducing someone to a community group does not automatically qualify as professional social-work case management.

The distinction depends on the activities undertaken, not simply the title used by the person providing assistance.

Viet Nam's Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15 governs regulated medical examination and treatment activities.

Government Decree No. 110/2024/ND-CP establishes a framework for social work. Ministry of Health Circular No. 51/2024/TT-BYT regulates the implementation of social-work services in medical examination and treatment establishments licensed to operate as hospitals. Circular No. 29/2026/TT-BYT, effective August 25, 2026, provides further requirements concerning social-work practice and professional knowledge updating.[11]

These instruments do not establish a separate licensed profession under the title of social prescribing navigator or automatically authorize someone using that title to undertake regulated professional activities.

Organizations considering navigation services must assess the actual scope of work, the applicable requirements in their operating setting and whether particular activities need qualified or authorized professionals.

They also need clear procedures for situations that cannot safely remain within an ordinary information or community referral pathway.

An urgent medical concern requires appropriate clinical attention. Suspected abuse, serious safeguarding concerns or child-protection matters must be addressed through competent services and authorities.

Privacy is another essential consideration, particularly when navigation involves information about where people live, work or receive healthcare.

Viet Nam's Law on Personal Data Protection No. 91/2025/QH15 and Government Decree No. 356/2025/ND-CP have been effective since January 1, 2026.[12]

Organizations must assess the applicable legal basis for processing personal data, consent requirements where relevant, necessary safeguards, information-sharing arrangements and the responsibilities of participating parties.

A person's involvement in a navigation initiative does not give every participating organization unrestricted permission to access their information.

For example, a community organization arranging a recreational activity may need contact details and relevant accessibility information. It would not ordinarily need detailed medical records, employment documents or a complete history of residence changes.

Where a participant wants assistance contacting a healthcare provider or public authority, any information collected or shared should be limited to what is necessary and lawful for the agreed purpose.

The involvement of employers, landlords or other parties who may exercise influence over participants requires particular attention.

Navigation should help people access support, not become a mechanism for tracking where migrant workers live, which services they use or how often they change residence.

What Could a Responsible Local Pilot Look Like?

A small, carefully designed pilot could help determine whether recently relocated workers and families want navigation assistance and which problems such assistance might realistically address.

Rather than beginning with a fixed list of activities, the pilot should start by understanding people's experiences.

Potential participants could be asked which services were difficult to find after moving, how they obtained information, what assistance they already received and whether an additional navigation contact would have been useful.

Their answers might reveal relatively simple information gaps. Others may describe difficulties involving clinical follow-up, family responsibilities or administrative procedures that require help from existing professional services.

These differences should shape the pilot's design.

Local healthcare facilities, relevant public-service contacts, community organizations and potential participants could be consulted about which resources are available and how they can appropriately be accessed.

The pilot would need a clearly defined population, scope of services, organizational responsibilities and operating arrangements. Activities falling within regulated professional practice must be handled by appropriately qualified and authorized providers.

Delivery methods should reflect the circumstances of the people involved.

Someone working rotating shifts may find an office-hours-only service inconvenient. An entirely digital approach might suit some participants but exclude others who prefer a conversation or have difficulty using online systems.

A practical model could offer different levels of assistance, from reliable information and signposting to an initial introduction where appropriate and within the service's lawful scope.

A pilot should not assume that every referral will be accepted.

Participating organizations may have limited capacity, eligibility conditions or specific operating hours. Navigation information must reflect those realities rather than promise access that cannot be guaranteed.

The pilot should also consider what happens when a participant relocates again, withdraws from the program or presents a concern requiring professional intervention.

Governance arrangements would need to address organizational responsibilities, staff competencies, confidentiality, safeguarding, personal data protection, funding, workload and complaint handling.

An initial pilot should be understood as an opportunity to test feasibility and learn from experience, not as evidence that a national navigation model is already established or effective.

How Should Success Be Measured?

Counting how many people receive information or are referred to community activities would provide only a limited picture of whether navigation is helpful.

More meaningful questions concern the experience of participants. Did they understand the available options? Were they able to reach an appropriate service? Was the information accurate and useful? Did they feel that their preferences were respected?

It would also be important to understand why some connections did not work.

A service may have been unavailable or too expensive. A participant may have moved again before making contact. Someone may have declined an activity because it did not fit their interests or working schedule.

These experiences can reveal weaknesses in navigation design or gaps in local services. They should not automatically be interpreted as failures by participants.

Evaluation should also consider the experience of participating organizations.

A pathway that appears useful to participants may still be difficult to sustain if it depends on extensive unpaid coordination or creates unrealistic demands on healthcare professionals, public-service contacts and community organizations.

Privacy concerns, unwanted disclosures, safeguarding issues and difficulties accessing professional assistance should be reviewed through appropriate procedures.

Where personal or migration-related information is collected for evaluation, its purpose should be clear and the collection limited to what is necessary and lawful.

A small pilot may demonstrate feasibility, acceptability or improvements in particular navigation processes. It would not, by itself, establish better clinical outcomes, reduced healthcare utilization or cost-effectiveness.

Stronger conclusions would require suitable research designs, appropriate outcome measures and comparison data.

The central question is whether navigation provides useful support beyond what people can already obtain, who benefits from it and under which local conditions it works best.

Supporting Mobility Without Treating Migration as a Problem

Internal migration is not inherently a health problem or a marker of social disadvantage.

For many people in Viet Nam, moving creates opportunities for employment, education, income and family life. They may establish themselves successfully without needing additional assistance.

Others may encounter temporary difficulties because the services and local contacts they previously knew are no longer familiar or convenient.

In some situations, reliable information is enough. In others, help making an initial connection may be worthwhile. More complex needs must remain with the appropriate healthcare, social-work, education or public administrative services.

The particular opportunity for care navigation lies in supporting these transitions between places.

When people move, their need for healthcare and community participation does not disappear. What may change is their knowledge of where to find support and whom they can approach.

A knowledgeable and trusted person could sometimes help bridge that gap.

For Viet Nam, the responsible direction is to understand where relocation creates genuine access difficulties, work with existing services and test whether practical navigation approaches add value.

There is no reason to assume that every migrant worker needs a referral or that community activities can compensate for unavailable essential services.

A useful measure of success would be whether people who want assistance can make informed choices, reach appropriate services and establish the connections they need in the communities where they now live.

References

[1] National Statistics Office of Viet Nam. (2025). Internal Migration in Viet Nam, 2009–2024. Published December 2025, with financial and technical support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

[2] World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific. (2022). A Toolkit on How to Implement Social Prescribing. WHO. ISBN: 9789290619765.

[3] National Assembly of Viet Nam. (2024). Law No. 51/2024/QH15 Amending the Law on Health Insurance. Government of Viet Nam. (2025). Decree No. 188/2025/ND-CP Detailing and Guiding the Implementation of Certain Articles of the Law on Health Insurance. Vietnam Social Security. (2025). Regulations on Health Insurance Cards under the 2024 Health Insurance Law.

[4] National Assembly of Viet Nam and Ministry of Public Security. Law on Residence No. 68/2020/QH14, as amended; Law No. 118/2025/QH15 Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of Ten Laws Related to Security and Public Order; and Circular No. 116/2026/TT-BCA Detailing Certain Articles and Measures for Implementing the Law on Residence.

[5] UNICEF Viet Nam and Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics. (2025). 50 Years of Progress for Children in Viet Nam: Opportunities and Investments for Future Generations. Published November 2025.

[6] UNICEF Viet Nam. (2026). Report on Capacity Assessment on Social Services for Children: In the Context of Streamlining the Apparatus and Implementing the Two-Tier Local Government. Published August 2026.

[7] Zhang, C. X., Wurie, F., Browne, A., et al. (2021). Social prescribing for migrants in the United Kingdom: A systematic review and call for evidence. Journal of Migration and Health, 4, 100067. DOI: 10.1016/j.jmh.2021.100067.

[8] Woodward, A., Steffen, M. W., Dayson, C., et al. (2026). Accessibility and use of social prescribing interventions by minority ethnic groups in the United Kingdom: A scoping review. BMJ Public Health, 4(2), e003363. DOI: 10.1136/bmjph-2025-003363.

[9] Vo, T. T., Vu, T. N., Nguyen, H.-N. T., et al. (2026). Health service delivery and subsequent labor out-migration in Vietnam: A longitudinal multilevel study. BMC Health Services Research. Published October 13, 2026. DOI: 10.1186/s12913-026-15829-9.

[10] World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific. (2026). WHO and The Lancet Spotlight Social Prescribing in New Western Pacific Series. News release, January 23, 2026.

[11] National Assembly, Government and Ministry of Health of Viet Nam. Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15; Decree No. 110/2024/ND-CP on Social Work; Circular No. 51/2024/TT-BYT on the Implementation of Social Work in Medical Examination and Treatment Establishments; and Circular No. 29/2026/TT-BYT on Social-Work Practice and Professional Knowledge Updating.

[12] National Assembly and Government of Viet Nam. (2025). Law on Personal Data Protection No. 91/2025/QH15 and Decree No. 356/2025/ND-CP Detailing Certain Articles and Measures for Its Implementation. Both effective January 1, 2026.

[13] Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, United Kingdom. (2021). Social Prescribing: Migrant Health Guide. UK Government. Published July 28, 2021.

Article Information

Primary Category: Viet Nam Context

Secondary Category: Implementation & Practice

Evidence and regulatory context reviewed: November 1, 2026

Publisher: Social Prescribing Vietnam (SPVN)

Disclaimer

This article is provided for educational, research and general informational purposes only. It does not constitute individualized medical, mental health, professional social-work, health-insurance, residence-registration, employment, education, social-protection or legal advice.

Internal migration, healthcare access and community support arrangements vary according to individual circumstances, applicable legislation, institutional responsibilities and local service availability. International findings discussed in this article should not be interpreted as evidence that equivalent social prescribing programs have been implemented or proven effective for internal migrant populations in Viet Nam.

Social prescribing and care navigation may complement existing healthcare, social services and community resources. They do not replace clinical assessment, regulated professional practice, statutory eligibility determinations, public administrative procedures, child protection or emergency services.

Organizations considering structured navigation pathways should assess applicable Vietnamese legal and regulatory requirements, including professional scope of practice, organizational responsibilities, safeguarding, personal data protection and lawful information-sharing arrangements, before implementation.

Social Prescribing Vietnam (SPVN) is a development, education, research, implementation and collaboration platform supporting responsible, evidence-informed social prescribing and community-connected care. Publication of this article does not indicate that SPVN operates an individual care navigation, medical referral, professional social-work, residence-registration, insurance advisory or social-benefit determination service.

References to external organizations, research findings and government frameworks are provided for information and comparative learning. They do not imply formal affiliation, authorization, endorsement or an established service partnership.