Large resources but not commensurate exploitation
Statistics from the Institute of Medicinal Materials, Vietnam possesses a very rich source of medicinal materials with more than 5,000 species of plants and fungi, 408 species of animals and 75 types of minerals that can be used as medicine. Many of these medicinal materials are not only of high value in treating diseases but also bring significant economic potential. However, despite possessing this precious resource, Vietnam has not yet exploited, conserved and processed it effectively, leading to many worrying consequences.
Standing Deputy Minister of Health Vu Manh Ha said that despite having a great advantage in resources, currently our country has only been proactive in about 20% of raw materials for domestic drug production, the rest still depends on imports. Meanwhile, more than 90% of domestic drug production raw materials must be imported from abroad. This reality shows that Vietnam's medicinal material industry has great potential but has not been exploited and developed commensurately.
Currently, there is still a situation of depleting precious medicinal plants for export at cheap prices, and then importing poor quality medicinal materials, even those that have been extracted with all active ingredients.
In addition, due to limited awareness and economic conditions, many people also destroy forests for swidden farming, illegal logging, causing forest destruction, environmental degradation, land loss of water retention capacity, thereby causing drought and flooding.
Deputy Minister Vu Manh Ha said that spending on traditional medicine from the health insurance fund is only about 4%, low compared to the potential. This shows that it is necessary to soon raise the position of this sector, in the context of still being entangled in bidding, supply and competition from pharmaceuticals.
Expanding policies, technology and value chains to break through
In that context, the Ministry of Health is developing a circular to expand the list of drugs, create more favorable conditions for health insurance payments, and prioritize promoting the development of traditional medicine in the coming time.
The Government has issued the National Strategy for Development of Vietnam's Pharmaceutical Industry to 2030, with a vision to 2045, with the goal of bringing the domestic pharmaceutical industry to the level of advanced countries in the region, while ensuring people have access to drugs at reasonable costs.
The strategy focuses on improving research capacity, receiving and applying existing technology to produce original brand-name drugs and drugs with new and modern dosage forms. Through this, Vietnam aims to become a production, processing and technology transfer center for original brand-name drugs in the ASEAN region.
In addition, Vietnam strives to develop the domestic pharmaceutical industry to level 4 according to WHO classification; promote the development of medicinal herbs, drugs and products from domestic medicinal herb sources to become a commodity production sector with high quality and economic value; promote the production of medicinal raw materials; and optimize the effective and safe use of drugs.
According to Dr. Tran Minh Ngoc, Director of the Institute of Medicinal Materials, the value of science is not only limited to academic publications but must also be measured by specific effectiveness in life and practical application. Products from medicinal materials need to be clearly proven for clinical effectiveness and safety to better meet the requirements of the health system. At the same time, the development of medicinal materials must also be associated with economic goals, turning local resources into products with high added value, contributing to reducing dependence on imports.
Not only has scientific and economic value, the medicinal herb industry also has profound social significance. This is an area that can create sustainable livelihoods for people, especially in resource-rich mountainous areas. This direction will help harmonize reasonable exploitation, long-term conservation and sustainable development.
To elevate Vietnamese medicinal herbs in the new period, Deputy Minister Vu Manh Ha set out 5 orientations including: Improving research capacity and innovation; preserving and developing sustainable medicinal herb resources; developing modern medicinal herb industries according to the value chain; promoting science, technology, digital transformation and international cooperation; and building a team of high-quality scientific staff.
