Great potential from medicinal herbs and traditional medicine systems
Vietnam has a rich source of medicinal materials with more than 5,000 species of plants, mushrooms and hundreds of species of animals and minerals for medicine. However, this potential has not been exploited commensurately when the domestic pharmaceutical industry has only been proactive in about 20% of drug production raw materials, most of which still have to be imported.
To promote the strengths of traditional medicine and medicinal herbs, the Ministry of Health is completing policies to expand the list of drugs covered by health insurance, and at the same time implementing the Pharmaceutical Industry Development Strategy to 2030, vision 2045. The focus is on applying science and technology, developing the medicinal herb industry according to the value chain, improving product quality and reducing dependence on imported raw materials.
According to Dr. Tran Minh Ngoc - Director of the Institute of Medicinal Materials, the value of science is not only in research publications but must be affirmed by practical effectiveness. Medicinal products need to be proven for clinical effectiveness and safety, while creating high added value from indigenous resources.
According to the Ministry of Health, the traditional medicine network currently has 5 hospitals directly under ministries and sectors; 61 provincial and city-level hospitals and 10 private hospitals. In 2025, the whole country recorded nearly 7 million medical examination and treatment visits using traditional medicine, accounting for 3.3% of the total number of medical examination and treatment visits; this rate reached 11% at the provincial level, 16% at the district level and 24% at the commune level. Currently, the Health Insurance Fund pays for 229 traditional medicines, medicinal herbs and 349 traditional medicine ingredients.
However, traditional medicine still faces many limitations. The rate of medical examination and treatment using traditional medicine at the grassroots level tends to decrease; the cost of traditional medicine only accounts for about 5.42% of total medicine expenditure in 2025.
Towards the important pillar of the national health system
According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dau Xuan Canh - Chairman of the Vietnam Traditional Medicine Association, traditional medicine has now been deeply integrated into the health system with dozens of specialized hospitals and thousands of medical examination and treatment facilities across the country.
However, to fully promote the value of this field, it is necessary to continue to promote research, verification and standardization of family remedies; build a database on medicinal plants and precious remedies; strengthen human resource training and apply technology in medical examination and treatment.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quoc Huy - Director of the Vietnam Academy of Traditional Medicine - said that education innovation and the development of high-quality human resources is a key task for traditional medicine to affirm its position in world medicine.
The Academy will focus on building a solid research platform, improving clinical trial capacity, promoting technology transfer, commercializing scientific products and expanding research combining traditional medicine with modern medicine.
According to Deputy Minister of Health Vu Manh Ha, perfecting mechanisms and policies to promote the strengths of traditional medicine is an urgent requirement to expand access to services and improve the effectiveness of people's health care.
In addition, building a list of diseases to be examined and treated directly at specialized facilities in traditional medicine will help people, especially patients with chronic diseases and functional rehabilitation needs, access high-quality services more conveniently. In the context of population aging and increasing non-communicable diseases, traditional medicine is expected to play an important role in primary health care, geriatrics and community care.
Over the past time, the Party and State have issued many policies to develop traditional medicine, from Resolution 20-NQ/TW, Directive 24-CT/TW to new conclusions and resolutions on protecting, caring for and improving people's health.
On the basis of "Nam Duoc Tri Nam Nhan" and combining traditional medicine with modern medicine, policies aim to promote the strengths of Vietnamese medicinal herbs, improve the quality of traditional medicine, promote research, training, disease prevention and treatment.
General Secretary and President To Lam emphasized the requirement to bring traditional medicine closer to the community, standardize non-drug healthcare models and soon develop the Strategy for Development of Vietnamese Traditional Medicine to 2030, vision 2045. This is an important foundation to turn traditional values into a new driving force for development.
