Vietnam’s Health Security Tested: WHO Review Finds Strong Progress but Critical Gaps

Vietnam’s 2025 Joint External Evaluation finds a health system with strong national institutions and proven crisis response capacity, especially after COVID-19, but uneven implementation, slow financing and workforce gaps at provincial and local levels. The report urges legal consolidation, faster funding mechanisms and sustained investment in people and coordination to turn developed capacities into long-term, resilient health security.

In July 2025, Vietnam opened its public health system to a full international review under the World Health Organization’s Joint External Evaluation of the International Health Regulations (2005). The assessment was carried out in Hanoi with active participation from leading national institutions such as the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City, the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang, the Tay Nguyen Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, and the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases. Drawing on site visits, technical discussions and lessons from COVID-19, the evaluation examined how well the country can prevent, detect and respond to health emergencies that could threaten both national and global health security.

Overall, the verdict is cautiously positive. Nearly half of all assessed capacities are rated as “developed,” with no area found to have “no capacity.” Vietnam’s strong performance during COVID-19 looms large in the report, reinforcing the view that the country can act decisively in a crisis. At the same time, the evaluation makes clear that many strengths remain concentrated at the national level, while provinces and communes often struggle with limited resources, slow procedures and unclear authority.

Laws are strong, but practice lags behind

Vietnam has built an extensive legal framework covering disease prevention, emergency response, food safety and civil defence. These laws are regularly updated and aligned with international standards, a clear institutional strength. However, the evaluation finds that the legal system is fragmented and not yet fully aligned with the practical requirements of the International Health Regulations. Responsibilities sometimes overlap, awareness of laws varies across sectors, and enforcement can be uneven, particularly outside major cities.

The forthcoming Law on Disease Prevention, expected to be adopted in late 2025, is seen as a turning point. If implemented well, it could clarify roles across ministries, strengthen coordination during emergencies and formally anchor IHR obligations in domestic law. The report also highlights a major blind spot: gender and equity considerations are not yet systematically built into health emergency planning, despite strong commitments to gender equality in national legislation.

Money and procedures slow emergency action

Financing is one of the most persistent challenges identified in the evaluation. Vietnam has the legal requirement and economic capacity to invest more in prevention, yet actual spending on disease prevention and preparedness often falls below mandated levels. Budget approval and disbursement processes are described as slow, rigid and ill-suited to emergencies, especially in the early days of outbreaks when rapid action matters most.

Provincial authorities, in particular, face constraints in accessing emergency funds or reallocating budgets quickly. While reserve funds exist, triggering their use often requires formal declarations that can delay response. The report calls for simpler procedures, clearer triggers for emergency spending and the creation of a dedicated National Disease Prevention Fund to ensure money reaches the front lines in time.

Strong systems, uneven capacity

Technically, Vietnam performs well in several critical areas. Immunization is a standout success, with nationwide free vaccine delivery, very high measles coverage and proven capacity to conduct mass vaccination campaigns, as demonstrated during COVID-19. Clinical case management and multisectoral coordination during major outbreaks are also rated highly.

Other areas show mixed progress. Antimicrobial resistance surveillance is strong in human health but weaker in animal health and agriculture, where enforcement and funding are limited. Zoonotic disease control benefits from a One Health partnership, yet routine joint risk assessments and simulation exercises are rare. Food safety is governed by solid laws and accredited laboratories, but the absence of a unified national emergency response plan weakens rapid reaction to outbreaks.

Laboratory networks and surveillance systems are extensive, but they are not fully integrated. Data sharing between sectors is limited, subnational analysis capacity is uneven and systems often operate in parallel rather than as one coordinated whole.

People and coordination will decide the future

Across almost every technical area, the evaluation returns to the same underlying issue: people. Vietnam faces shortages of trained staff in preventive medicine, field epidemiology, laboratory science and veterinary services, particularly outside major urban centres. Surge staffing during emergencies remains largely ad hoc, relying on improvisation rather than formal plans.

The report concludes that Vietnam’s future health security depends less on creating new institutions than on strengthening coordination, investing in people and making existing systems work better at all levels. With legal reforms, financing adjustments and sustained workforce investment, Vietnam is well-positioned to move from “developed” to truly “sustainable” health security capacity in the years ahead.