The Disease Prevention Fund is expected to ensure financial resources for proactive disease prevention programs - Illustration photo: VAN LANG
To overcome the shortcomings and inadequacies arising in public health care, disease prevention, and the legal gap in disease prevention activities, the Ministry of Health is seeking opinions on the development of the Law on Disease Prevention.
The Law on Disease Prevention will comprehensively regulate disease prevention activities, from infectious and non-infectious diseases, mental disorders to nutrition, communication and risk factors.
Among them, the establishment of a Disease Prevention Fund is one of the solutions proposed by the Ministry of Health . The Fund not only supports emergency situations but also helps maintain regular disease prevention activities.
The Ministry of Health proposes that the fund be formed from charter capital provided by the state budget; annual state budget supplements according to the balancing capacity; funding sources, voluntary and legal contributions from domestic and foreign enterprises, organizations and individuals; sources from the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund and other legal sources of revenue according to the provisions of law.
Notably, the Ministry of Health shared that the source of the Disease Prevention Fund will come from taxes and contributions from unhealthy products. This is a direction that many countries in the world have applied and highly appreciated.
Specifically, the Ministry of Health has proposed two options under consideration:
Option 1: Take a portion of the special consumption tax currently applied to products such as sugary soft drinks, beer, alcohol, ultra-processed foods, etc.
Option 2: Apply mandatory contributions to establishments producing and importing these products (except cigarettes) according to a gradual increase schedule: 1% from 2027; 1.5% from 2028 and 2% from 2029 based on the price for calculating special consumption tax.
This amount will be declared, calculated and paid by businesses together with special consumption tax, transferred directly to the account of the Disease Prevention Fund. This is expected to be a stable, long-term resource, and at the same time a strong message about the social responsibility of businesses towards public health.
According to the draft, the Disease Prevention Fund will be used to support the handling of urgent situations caused by epidemics; ensure financial resources for proactive disease prevention programs; and spend on activities that the budget cannot or has not yet been able to meet properly and sufficiently...
The fund will be established by the Prime Minister, with legal status, its own account and seal. Operating not for profit, the fund must preserve its charter capital, publicly disclose its revenues and expenditures and be subject to supervision by authorities as well as the community.
In addition to revenue from unhealthy products, the fund is also formed from charter capital provided by the budget and legal funding sources at home and abroad.
The draft also clearly stipulates that the unused balance of the fund in the year will be carried over to the following year to continue serving disease prevention goals.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/de-xuat-lap-quy-phong-benh-thu-tu-san-pham-gay-hai-chi-cho-suc-khoe-cong-dong-20250602172341677.htm
Comment (0)