Vietnam Emerges as a Leader in the Fight for Universal Health Coverage

As countries worldwide aim to deliver on the promise of universal health coverage by 2030, Vietnam has emerged as a leading nation. Vietnam has shown quick progress in delivering equitable access to health services, as well as affordable medicines and vaccines. As of 2019, 87.7 percent of the population is covered by health insurance and 97 percent of Vietnamese children receive standard immunizations. These achievements have helped to lower the country’s mortality rate by 75 percent since 1990.

According to a recent opinion piece, Vietnam’s success can be attributed not only to its scale of investment in health care, which is $142 per person annually, but also to its utilization of resources and intellectual capital. Investment in strong intellectual property protections helps to encourage R&D and bolster innovation, which ultimately helps to ensure treatments are accessible to patients who need them most.