Vietnam

Although Vietnam boasts a relatively high life expectancy, its health system is fragmented and under-resourced. By 2014, health insurance will be compulsory for all citizens. A major barrier to good health care in Vietnam is its inadequate water and sewage networks, which contributes to high rates of malaria, dengue fever, typhoid, and cholera. The Vietnamese health sector has been inadequately resourced by the government, resulting in a shortage of medical personnel and enough beds for patients. The pharmacy sector is also highly disorganized. Since accession to the WTO, numbers of foreign pharmaceutical firms increased to 370 by 2007. However, the government claims that local production supplies 50% of the market. 90% of active ingredients have to be imported; most of these are free of import duties with the exception of ingredients containing penicillin, which attract a tariff of 6.66%. Imported finished pharmaceuticals attract tariffs from 0% - 7.14%, with a weighted average of 6.36%. This is an increase from 2002, when the weighted average was only 5%.