The forum “Vietnam’s healthcare integration and development” attracted representatives from various embassies, banks and high profile agencies and organizations, including the UN.

In her address, MoH Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien noted in the context of increasing integration, the international community and development partners have provided significant financial and technical support for Vietnam’s healthcare sector.

By late 2013, MoH had managed 42 official development assistance (ODA) projects worth US$1.5 billion and received US$173 million from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for  a further 108 projects.

The forum is an opportunity for MoH to get feedback and advice from the international community and development partners on the sector’s priorities, achievements, difficulties and challenges, the Minister said.

Participants at the forum discussed key issues: millennium development goals for health care, newly emerging contagious diseases, healthcare human resource development, high tech training and transferring, administrative reform, and health insurance for all.

Tomoyuki Kimura, Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Vietnam, said Vietnam has made great efforts in improving people’s health from 2000 to 2013. However, like other middle income countries, Vietnam faces a number of challenges in economic development, demographic change and epidemiology, as well as a double burden on contagious and non-contagious diseases.

He stressed investment in health care is necessary for comprehensive and sustainable future growth.

The healthcare system must meet the challenges Vietnam faces on its way to rapid development, supply special services for the poor, and protect citizens from expensive healthcare services.

A MoH report shows many countries and international organisations have granted overseas study scholarships to medical workers. Thanks to technical assistance and experience exchange, Vietnam has received state-of-the-art equipment and technology to prevent and treat contagious diseases.