HCMC – Vietnam’s healthcare sector has been tasked with digitizing the country’s entire repository of traditional remedies and indigenous knowledge while completing a national database to support standardization, intellectual property protection, and improvements in traditional medicine quality.
The strategic direction was emphasized at a working session between Party General Secretary and State President To Lam and the Party Committee of the Ministry of Health on May 20 to discuss the development of traditional Vietnamese medicine.
The country’s top leader said the development of traditional medicine should be integrated into the nation’s broader development strategy in the new phase, with the goal of building a national traditional medicine ecosystem that preserves ancestral knowledge while operating on modern scientific foundations and aligning with the healthcare sector.
To achieve this objective, he stressed the importance of applying science and technology and accelerating digital transformation while strengthening links between advanced research, commercialization capacity, and market development. Closer collaboration among research institutes, universities, hospitals, and local enterprises will also be required.
At the same time, several regional-level traditional medicine centers are expected to receive priority investment to serve not only healthcare needs but also the preservation of traditional knowledge, technology transfer, and the development of products meeting international standards.
From an economic perspective, the strategy for developing the medicinal herb industry in the coming years should operate through an integrated value chain, covering seed resource management, planning of standardized cultivation zones, product traceability, and export brand building.
In parallel, new economic models, including ecotourism linked to medicinal herb regions, wellness centers, and rehabilitation services aimed at comprehensive elderly care—will be encouraged to expand.
On institutional development, the State will maintain its role in setting direction and ensuring quality control while encouraging major pharmaceutical groups to invest in traditional medicine pharmacy chains. Private traditional medicine clinics and herbal medicine outlets operated by traditional practitioners will also be supported to become effective extensions of the public healthcare network.
