MSD reaffirms long-term commitment to Vietnam's healthcare sector

On March 18, at the Ministry of Health headquarters, Minister Lan received Dr. Andrew Otoo, Asia-Pacific president of global biopharmaceutical company MSD (known as Merck & Co., Inc. Rahway, NJ, USA in the United States and Canada).

Also attending were Katharina Geppert, managing director of MSD Vietnam, along with directors of relevant business units and departments of the company. The meeting was also joined by representatives from various departments, administrations, institutes, and hospitals under the Ministry, together with the chairman and CEO of the VNVC Immunisation Centre System and Tam Anh General Hospital Group.

Central Committee Member and Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan

Minister Lan welcomed the MSD delegation, stating, "The Ministry highly appreciates MSD's cooperation and contributions to the health sector over the past 30 years – from prevention and treatment to communication work and initiatives aimed at healthcare equity. MSD has also provided many new-generation vaccines and medicines meeting US standards, improving access and prevention of dangerous diseases."

One such collaboration is with the Central Health Education and Communication Centre to implement a national campaign in 2025 raising community awareness about HPV prevention, diseases caused by the HPV virus – particularly cervical cancer in women – and preventive measures.

"This campaign was launched by the Ministry of Health in 2025 in Hanoi, attracting about 25,000 in-person exhibition visits and reaching over 23 million views on media platforms," Minister Lan said.

Additionally, MSD has cooperated with the Bright Future Fund to distribute the immunotherapy for many years across 49 hospitals nationwide. The programme currently covers up to 75 per cent of total treatment costs. By the end of 2025, it had supported over 7,500 patients with total drug support of approximately $150 million.

"I believe this is practical support for underprivileged patients with serious illnesses," said Lan.

The 'MSD for Mothers' initiative has also been implementing for nearly a decade, currently in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The scheme invests in interventions to reduce maternal mortality in the ethnic minority areas of Bac Kan, Lai Chau, Son La, Dak Nong, Kon Tum, and Gia Lai.

Dr. Andrew Otoo, Asia-Pacific president of MSD.

Speaking at the meeting, Dr. Otoo expressed his pleasure at meeting the Minister for the first time and thanked her for the warm welcome extended to the MSD delegation.

He congratulated Minister Lan and Vietnam's health sector on their achievements in protecting, caring for, and improving people's health, contributing to the effective implementation of green development goals by 2030.

Otoo also expressed appreciation for Minister Lan's leadership and management, particularly in advising and developing landmark health institutional policies in 2025. These included a series of new, amended, and supplemented laws, as well as extensive and complex administrative procedure reforms, all while maintaining a people-centred approach and ensuring no one is left behind.

The MSD Asia-Pacific president welcomed news that the Ministry of Health will include the HPV vaccine in the National Immunisation Programme. Through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance – which negotiates tiered pricing to make vaccines more affordable for lower-income countries – MSD has confirmed its commitment to continue supplying HPV vaccine to Vietnam under this mechanism through UNICEF until the end of 2027.

"We continue to coordinate with UNFPA to support HPV implementation, especially in communication activities to raise community awareness and promote participation," Otoo said.

He added that millions of patients in Vietnam have accessed MSD's treatment products. "Going forward, many innovative drugs, including orphan drugs, are expected to be introduced to Vietnam thanks to the Ministry's administrative procedure reform process in drug registration. Additionally, oncology remains one of MSD's core areas."

MSD has decided to invest over $40 million in clinical research in Vietnam, including research in oncology and vaccines.

"These investments enhance domestic research and development capacity while also contributing to shortening future access time for Vietnamese patients to advanced innovative therapies," Otoo said.

Otoo outlined several key areas for cooperation, including enhancing community education on the burden of HPV and the role of prevention; collaborating with the Administration of Disease Prevention on a vaccination coverage monitoring project through upgrading the National Immunisation Information System; and surveying opportunities for future HPV vaccine production technology transfer in Vietnam.

"Recently, we visited VNVC's production facility under construction and were very impressed with VNVC's strong commitment, long-term vision, and ambitious investment plans," said Otoo.

He added that MSD is ready to continue patient support programmes for oncology and orphan drugs in Vietnam, while expressing hope that the Ministry of Health will soon issue the list of drugs covered by health insurance, expected to take effect from the second quarter.

Minister Lan welcomed MSD's interest in technology transfer for HPV vaccine production in Vietnam. She requested that the company continue providing the vaccine under Gavi's tiered pricing mechanism beyond the end of 2027.

Regarding MSD's proposal on the list of drugs covered by health insurance, Minister Lan informed that Ministry units are working to expedite the issuing Circular.

"I have assured constituents that I am requesting relevant units, in coordination with the Health Insurance Department, to quickly complete and submit the document for Ministry leadership's consideration and approval," she said.

MSD Vietnam managing director Katharina Geppert spoke of the honour felt by both the company and herself upon receiving a Certificate of Merit and the 'For the People's Health' Commemorative Medal from the Ministry, awarded on the occasion of MSD's 30th anniversary in Vietnam.

"This is a particularly meaningful milestone," Geppert said. "It is not just an opportunity to reflect on our journey and report on our proud achievements, but also a chance to express our sincere gratitude to our partners who have accompanied us along the way. At the same time, it provides an opportunity to reaffirm our long-term commitment and confidence in MSD's sustainable growth in Vietnam."

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