Program in Global Primary Health Care (PGPHC) / Partnership for Health Advancement in Vietnam (HAIVN)

Program Type

International

Organization Name

Program in Global Primary Health Care (PGPHC) / Partnership for Health Advancement in Vietnam (HAIVN)

Internship Location

Hanoi, Vietnam

Organization

Through Harvard Medical School Office for Research Initiatives and Global Programs and the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, PGPHC aims to create high-quality and sustainable primary health care systems that advance health equity and access for communities worldwide. HAIVN is the Vietnam-based organization carrying out in-country activities, building stronger health systems, highlighting community needs, and supporting research and education.

Position Overview

Interns will support the STITCH project, an initiative strengthening primary care for hepatitis diagnosis and management in Hanoi. This internship provides hands-on experience in implementation research, health systems strengthening, and policy translation.

Project Details

• Support the STITCH hepatitis project through implementation research, document review, and synthesis of findings related to screening, linkage to care, and community-based treatment models.

• Help develop and refine the Essential Implementation Package (interview guides, observation checklists, data tracking sheets, workshop materials) for scaling and sustainability.

• Participate in field visits to primary health care centers, hospitals, and community-based organizations to observe service delivery and gather contextual insights.

• Document implementation lessons, draft summaries, case examples, and visual materials.

• Support monitoring activities and maintain project trackers.

• Engage with Vietnamese government, academic, and NGO partners, helping prepare meeting materials, summaries, and follow-up notes.

• Contribute to additional PGPHC primary health care strengthening initiatives, including community engagement, curriculum development, small-scale operational research, and rapid literature reviews.

• Participate in weekly team meetings and prepare an end-of-summer reflection or presentation summarizing contributions.

Intern Responsibilities

• Conduct field observations and contribute to implementation research.

• Develop and refine project tools and trackers.

• Draft documentation, case examples, and summaries for partners and internal reports.

• Maintain monitoring data and trackers.

• Support internal reporting and prepare summaries for partners.

• Attend field visits and collaborate with local stakeholders.

• Participate in team meetings and provide updates on tasks.

Qualifications

• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.

• Interest in global health, primary health care, or infectious diseases (hepatitis or integrated care models).

• Basic research skills including literature review and simple qualitative/mixed-methods techniques.

• Excellent written and verbal communication.

• Cross-cultural communication skills and cultural humility.

• Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.

• Willingness to travel within Hanoi for field observations.

• Flexibility in dynamic, real-world settings.

• Basic proficiency in Word, Excel/Sheets, and PowerPoint.

Learning Outcomes

• Deepen understanding of primary health care systems in a lower-middle-income country.

• Gain hands-on experience in implementation research and translating findings into policy.

• Develop practical skills in assessing care pathways and system bottlenecks.

• Strengthen cross-cultural collaboration skills.

• Build competency in synthesizing evidence through rapid literature reviews and data summaries.

• Enhance communication and presentation skills.

• Gain exposure to policy and program decision-making.

• Produce tangible outputs such as case studies or learning briefs.

Nature of Internship

Research (implementation-focused, with elements of policy translation)

Work Environment

Hybrid: primarily in Hanoi with in-person activities at the office or in the field; some remote collaboration is possible depending on timing.

Additional Onboarding for Selected Intern(s)

Interns will have onboarding with the in-country team and co-create an internship plan to outline responsibilities and learning goals.

Keywords

Health Systems Strengthening, Primary Health Care, Global Health, Health Policy, Infectious Disease, Implementation Research, Policy Translation