Vietnam’s Self-Care Readiness Assessed: A Foundation for Proactive Health
A recent comprehensive study has shed light on Vietnam’s preparedness for a burgeoning self-care approach to health management, revealing a solid foundation with clear avenues for further enhancement. The research, a collaboration between the Health Strategy and Policy Institute under the Ministry of Health and Opella Vietnam, was conducted from June to December 2025. It employed the Global Self-Care Federation’s Self-Care Readiness Index, a robust framework comprising four key enablers and fourteen component indicators, which has been instrumental in similar assessments across 20 countries globally.
The study’s methodology was multifaceted, integrating a thorough desk review with extensive field studies across Phu Tho, Bac Ninh, and An Giang provinces, along with the historic city of Hue. This fieldwork incorporated both qualitative and quantitative approaches, featuring in-depth interviews with five policymakers, 28 focus group discussions involving health officials, healthcare providers, and members of the public, and structured questionnaire interviews with 171 healthcare providers and 418 consumers.
Vietnam achieved an impressive overall score of 3.04 out of a possible 4, positioning it fourth in international self-care readiness rankings, trailing only Singapore, Australia, and Germany. The scores across the four key enablers were as follows: Stakeholder Support and Adoption (2.79); Consumer and Patient Empowerment (3.06); Self-Care Health Policy (3.05); and Regulatory Environment (3.26).
While the overall performance is encouraging, the results point to a nuanced landscape, with varying levels of achievement across the enablers. This indicates both significant progress and specific areas that warrant focused development. Notably, the ‘Self-Care Health Policy’ enabler, though above the average, scored lower than several countries in the 2022 assessment.
Key Strengths and Areas for Growth
Policy Actions and Community Health Education: Vietnam demonstrated exceptional capacity in community-based health communication and education, evidenced by its highest-scoring indicator: policy actions aimed at raising awareness on the safe use of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and encouraging healthier lifestyles, which garnered a score of 3.17. This highlights a strong existing infrastructure for public health messaging.
Integration of Self-Care in National Health Strategies: The ‘Self-Care Health Policy’ indicator (3.05) revealed that while Vietnam has not yet formulated a dedicated national self-care strategy, the principles of self-care are already integrated into crucial national documents. These include the National Strategy for Protection, Care and Improvement of People’s Health and the Vietnam Health Programme, indicating a strategic alignment with proactive health management.
Robust Regulatory Environment for Access: The regulatory environment emerged as the strongest enabler (3.26), particularly in the ‘Access and Distribution of Self-Care Products’ indicator, which achieved a very high score of 3.75. This reflects the extensive availability of self-care products through diverse channels. Current regulations are supportive of consumers purchasing OTC medicines, health supplements, and medical devices online, underscoring a forward-thinking approach to accessibility.
The Shift Towards Proactive Healthcare
Dr. Nguyen Khanh Phuong, director of the Health Strategy and Policy Institute, commented on the study’s implications, stating, “The findings highlight that Vietnam has established solid foundations to advance self-care, while also pointing to clear opportunities to further strengthen mainstream communication, healthcare counselling, and safe access to reliable information. This provides a strong basis for shaping practical models and national directions for self-care in Vietnam.”
The study’s outcomes resonate with a positive shift in public perception towards self-care and the broader efforts to reorient the healthcare system towards a people-centred model. This aligns with the national movement for proactive healthcare, as promoted by Resolution No.72-NQ/TW and other related directives.
A recent survey by The Frontierview on Vietnam’s healthcare market corroborates this trend, noting a growing demand for self-care solutions powered by digital tools, apps, and accessible OTC products. The global economic impact of self-care is substantial, estimated to save healthcare systems nearly $120 billion annually and free up an estimated 1.8 million hours of healthcare professionals’ time each year. For a market like Vietnam, this represents a significant opportunity to alleviate the strain on hospitals and doctors, thereby enhancing the efficiency and accessibility of the entire healthcare system.
Further bolstering this proactive healthcare agenda, Vietnam recently enacted the Law on Disease Prevention on December 10. The approval of the National Target Programme on Healthcare, Population and Development for 2026-2035 in December is also a critical step, ensuring sustained financial resources for the effective implementation of Resolution 72. Experts emphasize the importance of these new issuances, especially as Vietnam grapples with the dual burden of infectious diseases and a sharp rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Dr. Angela Pratt, World Health Organisation representative in Vietnam, expressed confidence: “I am confident that with continued support from international and domestic partners, we can scale up our actions to prevent and control NCDs and build a healthier Vietnam.”
Addressing Remaining Challenges and Future Directions
Despite the positive trajectory, certain areas require continued attention. Specifically, the ‘Access to personal health data’ indicator (2.69) and the ‘Digital tools for self-care’ indicator (2.91) remain at an average level. This underscores the importance of accelerating the implementation of electronic health records linked to VNeID. Furthermore, there is a need to enhance and promote official digital platforms, such as websites, applications, and hotlines, to provide accessible information on health conditions, prescriptions, care guidance, chronic disease management, and OTC medicines to support self-care practices.
The study also revealed that 49 per cent of consumers feel they require more knowledge to practice self-care proactively, highlighting the critical need to bolster public communication and health education initiatives.
While Vietnam’s self-care readiness is comparatively strong within the region, the study unequivocally points to the necessity of elevating public awareness, strengthening the counselling capabilities of healthcare workers, and improving access to dependable health information.
The research outlines several priority directions:
- Expanding Mainstream Communication: Broadening public outreach and education campaigns focused on self-care principles and practices.
- Accelerating Electronic Health Records: Expediting the rollout of electronic health records integrated with VneID, enabling individuals to access their medical history, test results, and medication details.
- Promoting Electronic Labelling: Encouraging the adoption of electronic labelling for medicines, with a particular focus on OTC products, to provide clearer and more accessible information.
- Piloting Community-Based Models: Initiating pilot programs for community-based self-care models, which can serve as a foundation for developing a comprehensive national self-care strategy.
Dr. Valentina Belcheva, country head of Opella Vietnam and Cambodia, remarked that the study provides the first systematic overview in Vietnam of the challenges and needs individuals encounter on their self-care journey. “Opella is proud to partner with regulators to introduce and implement this research framework in Vietnam, and remains committed to advancing self-care by enhancing consumer awareness, ensuring access to high-quality products, and promoting responsible communication, so that health is truly in the hands of every Vietnamese person,” she stated.
Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan underscored the significance of this paradigm shift, noting, “The shift from a treatment model to a proactive health management model is considered a guiding principle for the future direction of the industry, linked to four key resolutions on science and technology and digital transformation, international integration, institutional reform, and private sector development.”
