If you’re interested in health care, and particularly health care in Vietnam, good news! The World Bank recently published a detailed report (188 pages!) on the status of health care in Vietnam and the necessary measures to further strengthen the health system.
Rapid improvements in Vietnam’s health system since 2000 has taken the world by surprise. Infant and under-five mortality rates in Vietnam have improved to be comparable to countries with substantially higher GDP per capita. Vietnam’s social health insurance program now covers almost half of the population, and the goal is universal coverage.
Although Vietnam has made significant headway in health care reforms, it still faces significant challenges such as high out-of-pocket spending. Vietnamese households face catastrophic health care spending, beyond what they can afford, because the government’s health insurance program not yet covers the majority of household medical costs.
The World Bank’s case study provides an indepth analysis and offers possible solutions to this issue along with the challenges facing Vietnam’s health care system. I encourage Vietnamese expatriates who are doctors, pharmacists, other health professionals, and those aspiring to be health professionals to read this World Bank report.
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