Vietnam Attracts $22M FDI in Health & Social Support Projects in Jan-Aug

Vietnam has attracted only $22 million worth of foreign direct investment (FDI) in two health and social support projects in the first eight months of this year. The figure accounts for just 0.23% of the country’s total FDI of $9.57 billion during the period. The FDI inflow to such projects stood at just $1.02 billion as of July 20, showed statistics by the Ministry of Planning and Investment. To attract more foreign investors, the government is calling more investment in healthcare and pharmaceutical production which is regarded as attractive sectors amid the rapid economic development, said Nguyen Viet Hung, deputy director of the Ministry of Health’s Drug Administration. The Southeast Asian country ranks 51st among 191 nations worldwide in terms of health-system attainment and performance, a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) showed. (www.mpi.gov.vn Aug 30)