The cooperation is part of a programme to enhance the quality of cancer treatment for children, sponsored by the Swedish furniture company, IKEA, in the 2008-2013 period.

Under the programme, doctors and nurses from Lund University will visit Vietnam to perform medical check-ups and provide treatment for children in Hanoi and the northern provinces.

Lund University will organise specialised training courses in Sweden for Vietnamese doctors and nurses.

The two sides are organising a seminar to take place in March 2009 for doctors and nurses from both countries to share their experiences in cancer treatment.

First Secretary of the Swedish Embassy’s cooperation and development department, Christian Lien, said that medical students from Lund University will come to serve their probation periods in Vietnamese hospitals.

At present, four professors and 22 students from Lund University are staying in Hanoi for a two-week exchange programme. This is the third time the university has sent medical students to Vietnam.