The honour, approved by the President, is given to foreign individuals and collectives that have made great contributions to building, consolidating, and developing the friendship between Vietnam and other countries around the world.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien underlined that during his 10 years as WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, Dr. Shin has played a key role and worked with the Vietnamese Government to deliver its vision of national health service.
He has provided support and consultations to the Ministry of Health to build reform policies for Vietnam’s healthcare system, she noted, adding that the WHO official has directly helped Vietnam devise and review the law on health insurance, the law on prevention and control of tobacco harms, and the recent law on preventing and combating harmful effects of alcohol and beer, among others.
In response, Dr. Shin said he has been to Vietnam 15 times during his 10-year term. He expressed his delight that health coverage in Vietnam has witnessed significant progress over the years, with 87 percent of its population joining health insurance at present.
He voiced his hope that all Vietnamese people will join the national health insurance scheme in the coming time and that qualified initial healthcare services will be paid due attention in the country’s healthcare reform.
