Strengthening Training and Research Initiatives for Vietnam to Effectively Managing Non-Communicable Diseases (STRIVE-NCD) - The Strengthening Training and Research Initiatives for Vietnam to Effectively Manage Non-Communicable Diseases (STRIVE-NCD) program addresses important contemporary health challenges that affect citizens in both Vietnam and the United States, including substance use disorders, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health conditions, and other non-communicable diseases that place a disproportionate burden on underserved populations. STRIVE-NCD particularly focuses on three core areas: (1) high-priority NCD research; (2) substance use interventions; and (3) digital health approaches to improve healthcare efficiency, delivery, and patient outcomes through health systems science. The program leverages a long-standing, U.S.-led research collaboration with Vietnam to train physicians and scientists in the design, implementation, and dissemination of data-driven approaches to current health problems, clinical research, data science, and population health methods in diverse urban and rural healthcare settings. Vietnam provides unique scientific opportunities that complement existing U.S. research infrastructure, including access to large and diverse patient populations, rapidly evolving healthcare systems, and integrated digital health platforms that support efficient real-world evaluation of healthcare delivery strategies. Findings from these observational studies and clinical trials can generate translatable evidence to inform strategies for improving health outcomes among middle-aged and older adults in the United States. The design and conduct of studies in urban and rural Vietnam allow trainees to conduct rigorous, large-scale studies that would be substantially more difficult, costly, or time-intensive in the United States. Through mentored research training and collaborative studies, teaching faculty in STRIVE-NCD from the U.S. and Vietnam will develop a skilled research workforce capable of generating evidence on scalable, cost-effective approaches to improve chronic disease prevention and management, substance use treatment, and healthcare delivery. Findings from these studies will inform strategies that can be adapted to improve healthcare access, implementation, and outcomes for rural and underserved populations in the US. By strengthening international research capacity and producing reproducible, practice-based data, the program supports U.S. population health priorities and contributes to more effective approaches for preventing and treating important non-communicable diseases and addictive disorders.
