Summary (English)

Viet Namʼs efforts to battle the COVID-19 pandemic were made possible thanks to its pre- existing social health protection system, which is based on the universality of protection based on social solidarity and a system of highquality public service providers, both guiding principles of Recommendation No. 202. Viet Nam was able to rapidly contain its successive COVID-19 waves thanks to its health surveillance system and the rapid roll-out of its vaccination campaign. The country was also able to provide immediate financial protection from healthcare costs thanks to the presence of a well-established and nearly universal health insurance scheme. The scheme required only small adjustments to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, which were put in place relatively easily.