Informal Payments in Health Services in Vietnam: Causes, perceptions and impact

For almost two decades, Transparency International’s work to stop corruption and promote transparency has been underpinned by the belief that corruption fuels inequality and prevents access to basic rights and services. In no sector is this more apparent than corruption in health, with international conventions regarding access to the highest standard of health as one of the most fundamental and universal rights afforded to all. The impacts of corruption in the health sector are wide-ranging, from distorting health policies to limiting access to life-saving pharmaceuticals. In health services, petty bribery and informal payments, in particular, lead to an erosion of public trust in the public health system and rising costs for access to services which are supposed to be free. As a result, the poor are disproportionately affected, as they are less able to afford to pay bribes, which increase the costs of accessing health services, and are less able to pay for private alternatives when corruption depletes public health services.

At the same time, it is clear that widespread public engagement is a key requisite to greater and sustained progress in stopping corruption. A better understanding of the experiences and perceptions of those who play a key role in the health sector, from doctors to patients to policy makers, provides the basis for more effective anti-corruption efforts. The following report helps to understand systemic problems that have contributed to the existence and growth of informal payments in the health sector in Vietnam…