Growing Healthy : A Review of Vietnam's Health Sector
Recently, the Ministry of Health formulated its strategic directions for the period 1998-2000, whose key objectives for the health sector are: improved health status, as reflected by morbidity, and mortality reductions; greater access to public health services, especially the poor; and, increased quality, and cost-effectiveness of health services. This raises a number of policy questions, such as: which priorities will likely reduce poverty? What are the emerging roles of government, donors, and nongovernmental organizations in the financing of health services? What is the level of resources, currently available to the health sector? How can public spending be oriented to meet the strategic objectives of the Ministry of Health? This report attempts to conduct an analysis of empirical trends in, and patterns of health services utilization, health outcomes, public health expenditures, and provision of health services, and, discuss the empirical findings of the analysis. The broad objectives of the report are to: document changes in health outcomes, and health services utilization, private/public health spending, and provision of public, and private health services during the last seven years; and, identify the causes, and factors influencing these changes. Policy responses to the analysis are not provided in this report. Rather, the information is provided in the expectation that interested parties will find it useful for future policy deliberations.
Summary: | Recently, the Ministry of Health
formulated its strategic directions for the period
1998-2000, whose key objectives for the health sector are:
improved health status, as reflected by morbidity, and
mortality reductions; greater access to public health
services, especially the poor; and, increased quality, and
cost-effectiveness of health services. This raises a number
of policy questions, such as: which priorities will likely
reduce poverty? What are the emerging roles of government,
donors, and nongovernmental organizations in the financing
of health services? What is the level of resources,
currently available to the health sector? How can public
spending be oriented to meet the strategic objectives of the
Ministry of Health? This report attempts to conduct an
analysis of empirical trends in, and patterns of health
services utilization, health outcomes, public health
expenditures, and provision of health services, and, discuss
the empirical findings of the analysis. The broad objectives
of the report are to: document changes in health outcomes,
and health services utilization, private/public health
spending, and provision of public, and private health
services during the last seven years; and, identify the
causes, and factors influencing these changes. Policy
responses to the analysis are not provided in this report.
Rather, the information is provided in the expectation that
interested parties will find it useful for future policy deliberations. |
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