Key priorities to improve Vietnam's health landscape

Vietnam's strides in strengthening its public health infrastructure and expanding access to care has drawn wider attention.

- By Bich Thuy

Angela Pratt, the World Health Organization's representative in Vietnam, talked to VIR's Minh Anh about the priorities shaping the nation's health landscape.How would you assess the overall performance and resilience of Vietnam's healthcare system in recent times, given issuance of impactful policies?

There have been many highlights, but a standout was the adoption of a resolution last year which places health at the centre of the government's reform agenda for the future and sets a bold and ambitious agenda for strengthening the system. We also congratulate the government on several milestone legislative achievements, including the Law on Disease Prevention, the Population Law, and the national targeted programme on healthcare, population and development. Robust legal frameworks are critically important for a long-term, sustainable health system, as strengthening relevant laws and policies are the foundations upon which the system and delivery of services are built.

In addition, after the historic decision to ban e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products in 2024, the ban entered into force in 2025. This ban has subsequently been reinforced through other legal measures, including, most recently in December 2025, in the revised Investment Law, which prohibits business activities related to these harmful products.