Sustainable Financing for TB Care and Treatment in Vietnam

Every year, tuberculosis (TB) kills 17,000 people in Vietnam—twice the rate of those who die in traffic accidents. Most TB drugs and treatment are still donor-funded, though many of these international sources are tapering their commitments before soon ending them entirely as Vietnam’s economy grows. For the past two years, Vietnam’s government and USAID have been transitioning TB costs to Vietnam’s social health insurance fund (SHI)—with training and logistical assistance from the USAID-funded Local Health System Sustainability Project (LHSS). 

This transition demands a health financing strategy to address potential challenges to covering the costs of TB drugs and testing services under the SHI. LHSS is supporting the capacity development of Vietnam’s National Tuberculosis Program to manage, quantify, procure, and distribute TB first-line drugs through a self-funded health finance system. The project has assisted Vietnam’s national government in creating a detailed roadmap for transitioning TB services and procurement of first-line drugs to SHI by 2022. LHSS is also working with the Vietnam Ministry of Finance and Vietnam Social Security to strengthen SHI’s financial viability.  

By expanding and strengthening SHI, Vietnam is making significant strides toward its universal health coverage goals of providing affordable TB care and treatment.