Vietnam, South Africa to boost social security cooperation
A delegation from the Vietnam Social Security (VSS) had a working session with officials of health and social development of South Africa in Pretoria on July 23, seeking to enhance relations between the two countries in these fields.
The working session between the Vietnam Social Security delegation and officials of the National Department of Health and the Department of Social Development of South Africa in Pretoria on July 23 (Photo: VNA)
Pretoria (VNA) – A delegation from the VietnamSocial Security (VSS) had a working session with officials of health and socialdevelopment of South Africa in Pretoria on July 23, seeking to enhancerelations between the two countries in these fields.
At the event, Deputy Minister of Finance and VSSDirector General Nguyen Thi Minh said Vietnam and South Africa share manysimilarities in the implementation of healthcare and social security policies.Like its South African counterpart, the Vietnamese Government has always paidattention to social insurance to ensure socio-economic stability.
Introducing the VSS’s activities, she notedhealth insurance has covered 87 percent of Vietnam’s population, 50 percent ofthem have their insurance contribution paid by the State budget. Meanwhile,about 50 percent of the people of working age in the country have participatedin social insurance.
Vietnam is working towards universal coverage ofhealth and social insurance in the time ahead, she added.
For her part, Director General of the NationalDepartment of Health of South Africa Malebona Precious Matsoso described the VSSdelegation’s visit a prerequisite for the establishment of bilateral cooperationin health insurance and social security.
Matsoso, who is also a senior specialist of theWorld Health Organisation, said South Africa in particular and theinternational community in general highly value the health insurance and socialsecurity models in Vietnam and consider these an example to many othercountries.
At the session, the two sides shared informationand experience in carrying out health insurance and social security policies ineach country, especially in remote areas where the provision of public services face difficulties. They also exchangedexperience in organising public services and drug tendering.
The VSS delegation is paying a visit to SouthAfrica from July 22 to 26. -VNA
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The working session between the Vietnam Social Security delegation and officials of the National Department of Health and the Department of Social Development of South Africa in Pretoria on July 23 (Photo: VNA) 
