Promoting Vietnam – Japan Cooperation in the Healthcare Sector

Promoting Vietnam–Japan Cooperation in the Healthcare Sector

In the context of the increasingly deep and comprehensive relationship between Vietnam and Japan, the two countries are strengthening their all-round cooperation across many new strategic fields. Among them, healthcare cooperation has been highlighted as one of the most important and effective pillars in bilateral relations, reflected in programs promoting preventive medicine, infrastructure development, and human resource training.

These key topics were discussed at the seminar “Vietnam–Japan Relations: New Drivers, New Heights,” held in Hanoi on the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan (1973–2025). The event featured high-level speakers, including Mr. Ito Naoki, Ambassador of Japan to Vietnam; Dr. Dang Quang Tan, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Health; Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Deputy Director General of the Foreign Investment Agency, Ministry of Finance; and Mr. Benjamin Ping, General Manager of Takeda Vietnam.

The speakers exchanged views on three core drivers for sustainable development: healthcare, investment, and innovation.

Vietnam–Japan Relations: Expanding Strategic Pillars and Promoting Healthcare Cooperation

Ambassador Ito Naoki stated that in the new phase of bilateral relations, Vietnam and Japan are expanding cooperation into many strategic fields, including innovation, digital transformation, green transformation, artificial intelligence (AI), and the semiconductor industry. The governments of both countries have agreed to regard these as new pillars to promote sustainable development.

He emphasized the key role of the private sector, human resource development, and strategic projects in advancing this new phase of cooperation.

From an economic and investment perspective, Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan noted that Japan is currently Vietnam’s largest ODA donor, third-largest foreign investor, and fourth-largest partner in trade and tourism. To date, Japan has more than 5,600 investment projects in Vietnam with total registered capital exceeding USD 78 billion.

He remarked: “The strengths of Japanese investment are highly aligned with the Vietnamese Government’s priorities for sustainable economic development, particularly in high technology, digital transformation, science and technology, manufacturing, and healthcare.”

Healthcare continues to be a priority area in bilateral cooperation, with concrete and timely progress.

According to Ambassador Ito, the two countries are promoting many cooperation programs in preventive healthcare, healthcare digitalization, and elderly care, aiming for a more efficient and sustainable healthcare system. Japan is supporting Vietnam in strengthening primary healthcare capacity, narrowing regional disparities in access to services, and improving the prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases.

From the perspective of healthcare cooperation, Dr. Dang Quang Tan stated:

“Japan is one of Vietnam’s most important partners in the healthcare sector. Bilateral cooperation has become a long-term strategic relationship. This foundation has been strengthened by the 2019 Memorandum of Cooperation in Healthcare between Vietnam’s Ministry of Health and Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. On this basis, many projects have been implemented focusing on three pillars: modern infrastructure, advanced equipment, and capacity development.”

Notable projects include the “Capacity Development for Healthcare Workers through Telemedicine” project, implemented by the Ministry of Health and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), with total investment of approximately USD 3 million. Another is the “Strengthening Hepatitis Prevention and Control in Vietnam” project, also in cooperation with JICA, which has contributed to effective hepatitis control and brought tangible benefits to Vietnamese people.

Dr. Tan added:

“In healthcare, Vietnam is pursuing development based on innovation, high-tech application, service quality improvement, sustainability, and international integration. Vietnam welcomes Japanese enterprises to share their experience, technology, and advanced management models to promote deeper cooperation in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, food safety, traditional medicine, and hospital management.”

The Role of Public–Private Partnerships in Healthcare Innovation

The speakers emphasized the important role of public–private partnerships (PPP) in building a sustainable healthcare system.

Ambassador Ito noted that the Japanese private sector is playing an increasingly important role in this process:

“Through the cooperation activities of Japanese companies in healthcare, I believe that the quality of healthcare services and the capacity of Vietnam’s healthcare system will continue to improve.”

He cited Takeda as a typical example, highlighting its development of a dengue vaccine and the introduction of Vietnam’s first licensed dengue vaccine.

With the philosophy of “Putting Patients First,” Mr. Benjamin Ping stated that Takeda focuses on addressing healthcare challenges in rare diseases, oncology, neuroscience, plasma-derived therapies, and vaccines.

From 2021 to 2024, Takeda collaborated with the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM) under Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Ho Chi Minh City Society of Allergy, Asthma, and Clinical Immunology (HSAACI) to implement an initiative to strengthen the diagnosis and treatment of hereditary angioedema (HAE), a rare disease.

To date, the initiative has enhanced Vietnam’s professional capacity through expert exchanges between Vietnam and Japan and more than 70 workshops, seminars, and training courses. It has trained over 7,500 healthcare workers, supported the screening of more than 100 cases, and enabled timely diagnosis for 35 HAE patients. Specialized treatment centers have been established in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, expanding access to care.

In 2024, Takeda’s dengue vaccine was licensed by Vietnam’s Ministry of Health, becoming the first dengue vaccine approved in the country. The vaccine has now been approved in 41 countries, with over 20 million doses distributed globally.

Mr. Benjamin Ping emphasized opportunities for the private sector to promote practical healthcare initiatives and support Vietnam’s preventive healthcare efforts.

In light of Resolution 72-NQ/TW, which focuses on preventive medicine and strengthening the healthcare system, he noted that this creates strategic opportunities for international pharmaceutical corporations to help reduce Vietnam’s disease burden.

In dengue prevention, Takeda is committed to enhancing professional capacity among healthcare workers, strengthening community communication, and improving sustainable access to vaccines. These efforts align with the World Health Organization’s global goal of eliminating dengue-related deaths by 2030, thereby improving public health.