Efforts to expand traditional medicine in the public health system are being stepped up as the sector accounts for just 3.3 per cent of all medical visits despite increasing policy support and new techniques, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH).

The network of traditional medicine facilities has been reinforced in recent years, with improved clinical quality and wider integration with modern medicine. Advanced techniques are being rolled out and helping ease pressure on higher-level hospitals.

But major gaps still persist.

Health insurance procedures remained inconsistent in some areas, service capacity varied across levels, and patient referrals and first-point registration did not match real-world demand or the specialty’s needs, Deputy Health Minister Vũ Mạnh Hà said at a recent conference on improving insured traditional medicine care.

Traditional medicine and pharmacy are a core part of Vietnamese healthcare and have long been preserved and developed, according to Hà. The Party and State back traditional medicine, prioritising Vietnamese remedies for Vietnamese people and combining traditional medicine and western medicine.

Key Party directives in 2008, 2017 and 2024 set out plans to strengthen public health and develop traditional medicine and its national association. In September 2025, the Politburo called for stronger state management, closer integration with modern medicine in training, prevention and treatment, broader community outreach, and higher-quality traditional drugs and medicinal materials.

At a recent meeting on traditional medicine, Party General Secretary and President Tô Lâm urged a shift from treating illness to comprehensive health care, tapping traditional medicine for prevention, rehabilitation, elderly care, chronic disease treatment and mental health. He called for bringing services to the grassroots, standardising non-drug models such as acupuncture, massage and acupressure at commune and ward level, and fast-tracking a development strategy to 2030 with a vision to 2045.

Nationwide, there are five traditional medicine hospitals under the health ministry and other ministries, 61 provincial and centrally run hospitals, and 10 private hospitals, alongside clinics, hospital departments and commune health stations.

In 2025, traditional medicine accounted for nearly 3.3 per cent of all examinations and treatments, or about 7 million visits. Provincial-level traditional medicine examinations made up 11 per cent of the total at that tier, districts 16 per cent and communes 24 per cent. Inpatient care using traditional or integrated methods reached 9.8 per cent at provincial level and 9 per cent at district level; outpatient rates were 13.7 per cent at provincial, 9.3 per cent at district and 25.6 per cent at commune level.

Insurance coverage has expanded, with 229 traditional and herbal medicines and 349 traditional ingredients on the reimbursable list, supporting safer, more rational use and aligning with Việt Nam’s disease profile.

However, challenges remain.

Use of insured traditional medicine at primary care and commune stations is declining, according to Hà.

Spending on traditional medicines is low, at about 5.42 per cent of total drug spending in 2025. Service quality and access vary by level and region. Human resources in some localities fall short in number, structure and skills.

The production and modernisation of medicinal materials and traditional drugs lag potential and demand. Research, clinical trials and treatment-quality monitoring are uneven and underfunded, and integration with modern medicine lacks effective mechanisms and policies.

Hà urged agencies to draw up a list of diseases eligible for direct access to specialised traditional medicine facilities. Direct access for patients with chronic, complex or long-term conditions would improve outcomes, reduce travel and paperwork and better protect health insurance rights, he said.

With a rapidly ageing population and rising disease burden, Hà said traditional medicine must play a greater role in primary care, geriatrics, home care and community-level services-preserving a national heritage while turning it into a driver of better health.