Tri-Duc Luong and Dao Le-Van’s study, published in Health Economics Review (Volume 14, Article 95, 2024), examines the relationship between public funding and vaccination rates among children under one year old in Vietnam from 2014 to 2019. The research provides robust evidence that increased government expenditure positively impacts vaccination coverage, particularly in underdeveloped regions.
By addressing challenges like endogeneity and cross-sectional dependence, the study highlights how public investment in healthcare infrastructure and programs can drive equitable health outcomes. It also sheds light on a critical trade-off for Vietnam’s socialist-oriented market economy: balancing economic efficiency with the need to allocate resources to less developed regions, where the returns on investment are higher in terms of vaccination rates but lower economically.
This research underscores the significance of public health funding in achieving social objectives and invites further exploration of policies for equitable and sustainable development in transitioning economies.