Establishing sustainable partnerships for preventing childhood lead poisoning in Viet Nam

Lead exposure is a critical global health issue impacting about one-third of children globally, with Southeast Asia with Southeast Asia facing the greatest burden. Despite this, research in many low- and middle-income countries, including Vietnam, is sparse. In May 2024, UNICEF and the US Agency for International Development urged actions to eradicate childhood lead exposure, a goal supported by the Vietnamese government. However, existing research in Vietnam is mostly confined to small-scale studies near lead-recycling facilities or mines, showing elevated blood lead levels in children. Crucially, there is a lack of comprehensive data on lead exposure among the general population, particularly in children and pregnant women, which leaves major exposure sources and hotspots unidentified. For the past decade, UiT The Arctic University of Norway has developed equitable partnerships with Georgian institutions, focusing on maternal and child health and lead poisoning prevention. Fifteen years ago, UiT also collaborated with Vietnamese institutions on environmental health and epidemiology. Given the ongoing lead exposure challenges in Southeast Asia, Vietnam's renewed commitment to address this issue, and the interest from past partners to re-engage, the upcoming Research Council of Norway call in March 2025 is a perfect opportunity to enhance and extend our collaborations, including also non-research entities. Developing strong, equitable partnerships and a competitive proposal requires time and both virtual and in-person interactions. This pre-project aims to secure resources for these activities, planning online meetings to renew and expand partnerships, a 5-day workshop to refine research questions, engage stakeholders, and distribute responsibilities fairly. This will be followed by biweekly online meetings to collaboratively draft the research proposal for submission, ensuring all partners have significant input and joint ownership of the project.