According to Minister Lan, the total proposed funding for the program over the next decade is 125.478 trillion VND, equivalent to approximately 5 billion USD. For the 2026–2030 phase, the funding would be 88.635 trillion VND (about 3.54 billion USD), sourced from the central government budget (68 trillion VND or 2.72 billion USD) and local government budgets (20.041 trillion VND or 800 million USD). The projected budget for 2031–2035 is 36.843 trillion VND (about 1.47 billion USD).

The program aims to enhance the physical and mental well-being, stature, life expectancy, and quality of life of the Vietnamese people. It seeks to ensure that everyone receives quality primary healthcare and is empowered to take charge of their own health, with a strong emphasis on early, local, and preventive care.

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Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan. Photo: National Assembly

As for specific goals, the Minister stated that by 2030, 90% of communes, wards, and special administrative zones are expected to meet national health standards, increasing to 95% by 2035. Additionally, 100% of the population will have electronic health records and life-cycle health management by 2030, with this coverage maintained through 2035.

All commune-level health stations across the country are expected to fully implement preventive measures, management, and treatment of noncommunicable diseases following standardized procedures by 2030 and sustain this through 2035.

The sex ratio at birth should drop to below 109 boys per 100 girls by 2030 and below 107 by 2035. Meanwhile, 90% of couples are expected to receive premarital counseling and health checks by 2030, increasing to 95% by 2035. By 2030, 70% of pregnant women will undergo screening for at least four of the most common congenital disorders, and 90% by 2035. For newborns, the goal is to screen for at least five common conditions in 90% of babies by 2030 and 95% by 2035.

Minister Lan added that the program will include five sub-projects: strengthening the grassroots healthcare network, enhancing disease prevention and health promotion systems, population and development, improving social care for vulnerable groups, and public health communication, management, monitoring, and oversight.

Call for a realistic assessment of local budget mobilization capacity

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Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee for Culture and Social Affairs Nguyen Dac Vinh. Photo: National Assembly

Presenting the appraisal report, Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee for Culture and Social Affairs Nguyen Dac Vinh noted that the review committee has requested the government to clearly identify funding sources and ensure minimum capital allocation.

The committee emphasized the need to balance investments between the two major objectives of the program - healthcare and population development. Notably, the proposed investment in population and development accounts for only 15.5% of the total funding for 2026–2030.

The committee also urged the government to realistically assess the ability of local governments to allocate matching funds and to adjust budget expectations accordingly, especially for economically challenged regions. It also recommended continuing efforts to mobilize social resources to ease pressure on the state budget.

Regarding the program’s objectives, the committee advised a comprehensive review to ensure consistency and logic across overarching goals, specific targets, and the activities of each sub-project. This would align the program with results-based management principles and facilitate monitoring and evaluation of its socioeconomic impacts.

Specific indicators should be clearly defined and aligned with the overall objectives to enable accurate evaluation of outcomes.

The review also stressed the importance of aligning proposed solutions with each sub-project’s objectives and indicators, as well as clarifying timelines and resources required to achieve them.

Tran Thuong