Choose core content and avoid spreading resources too thin.

On the morning of November 25th, continuing the program of the Tenth Session, under the chairmanship of Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh, the National Assembly heard the Presentation and the Verification Report on the Investment Policy for the National Target Program on Health Care, Population and Development for the period 2026 - 2035.

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh presides over the session. Photo: Ho Long

The total capital for the entire period 2026 - 2035 is projected to be 125,478 billion VND.

In her summary presentation on the Investment Policy for the National Target Program on Health Care, Population and Development for the period 2026-2035, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan stated that the beneficiaries of the Program are all Vietnamese people. Priority is given to the following groups: people living in disadvantaged areas, mountainous regions, border areas, and islands; vulnerable groups; mothers and children; youth; couples and individuals of childbearing age; people with meritorious service to the revolution; the elderly; migrants; and workers in industrial zones.

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh presides over the session. Photo: Ho Long

The program will be implemented in provinces and cities nationwide, prioritizing disadvantaged areas, mountainous regions, border areas, and islands. The implementation period is 10 years, from 2026 to the end of 2035, divided into two phases: 2026-2030 and 2031-2035.

The total capital for the program in the 2026-2030 period is VND 88,635 billion, including: VND 68,000 billion from the central government budget, VND 20,041 billion from local government budgets, and an estimated VND 594 billion from other legally mobilized funds.

The total capital for the period 2031-2035 is projected to be 36,843 billion VND; the total capital for the entire period 2026-2035 is 125,478 billion VND.

The Minister stated that the program's objectives are to improve the physical and mental health, stature, longevity, and quality of life of the people; to ensure that all citizens receive quality primary healthcare management and care, and that people proactively take care of and improve their own health; to reduce disease, and to promote early, remote, and local-level disease prevention; to address priority population issues, proactively adapt to aging, and improve the quality of the population; and to strengthen care for vulnerable groups, contributing to building a healthy and prosperous Vietnam in the new era.

The program sets several specific goals, including: achieving 100% of the population having electronic health records and lifecycle health management by 2030 and maintaining this by 2035; reducing the rate of stunting in children under 5 years old to below 15% by 2030 and below 13% by 2035; and increasing the crude birth rate by 0.5‰ by 2030 compared to 2025 and by 0.5‰ by 2035 compared to 2030.

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan presents a summary of the Proposal on the Investment Policy for the National Target Program on Health Care, Population and Development for the period 2026 - 2035. Photo: Ho Long

The program is divided into 5 component projects.
Specifically, Project 1: Enhancing the capacity of the primary healthcare network; Project 2: Improving the effectiveness of the disease prevention and health promotion system; Project 3: Population and development; Project 4: Improving the quality of social care for vulnerable groups; Project 5: Health communication, management, monitoring and supervision of program implementation.

Further research is needed to promote the strengths of traditional medicine and medicinal herbs.

Summarizing the report on the review of this content, the Chairman of the Committee on Culture and Social Affairs, Nguyen Dac Vinh, stated that the Committee basically agrees with the name, beneficiaries, total investment for the period 2026-2035, objectives, and component projects of the Program as proposed by the Government .

However, it is suggested that further research be conducted to include people with disabilities as a priority group; at the same time, the regulations on priority groups should be revised so that the Government can provide detailed regulations to ensure full institutionalization in accordance with the spirit of Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW and facilitate implementation.

Chairman of the Committee on Culture and Social Affairs Nguyen Dac Vinh presents a summary of the verification report. Photo: Ho Long

Regarding the total capital for the Program, the Committee on Culture and Social Affairs proposes that the Government clearly define the funding sources, ensuring sufficient minimum funding; and ensure a reasonable balance of capital in implementing the two important objectives of the Program: healthcare and population and development (the investment level for population and development is expected to account for only 15.5% of the total investment for the 2026-2030 period).

At the same time, closely assess the ability to mobilize local budget funds and calculate and propose a more appropriate allocation of local budget funds in line with the practical situation, especially for localities facing difficulties in allocating counterpart funds; continue to evaluate and develop solutions to mobilize social resources, reduce pressure on the state budget, and institutionalize the requirements of Conclusion No. 149-KL/TW and Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW of the Politburo; review and not allocate funds for activities in sub-projects that have already been secured by regular funding.

The Committee on Culture and Social Affairs also suggested reviewing projects, emphasizing the need to select core and important content, avoiding fragmentation and waste of resources. The objectives, tasks, and solutions of sub-projects must ensure consistency between the overall goal, specific objectives, and activities, with specific indicators that are easy to monitor and evaluate. Further consideration should be given to adding projects to promote the strengths of traditional medicine and medicinal herbs, and to ensure food security and safety within the Program, in order to fully institutionalize Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW.

In addition, the Committee's opinions on the investment policy for the Program should be studied to revise and finalize the draft Resolution, especially regarding the objectives, scope, total investment capital, location, implementation time, mechanisms, solutions, and policies for implementing the Program.

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/lua-chon-nhung-noi-dung-cot-loi-tranh-dan-trai-lang-phi-nguon-luc-10397005.html