USAID and Vietnam began partnering in 1991 to help those affected by war, and have since grown their cooperation significantly to encompass many shared priorities. Through a wide range of partners, including the Government of Vietnam (GVN), the private sector, universities and research institutions, local and international organizations, and communities, USAID strengthens local capacity to drive Vietnam’s sustainable and inclusive growth.
ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS
USAID supports the GVN’s goal to achieve upper-middle-income status by 2035. USAID partners with the GVN, private sector, and higher education counterparts to spur commercial innovations and process improvements, refine the legal and regulatory environment to foster expansionary investments, and enhance public-private dialogue. To drive innovations and employment opportunities, USAID supports internationalizing Vietnam’s higher education curriculum and pedagogy. USAID also supports Vietnam to address human trafficking and reintegrate survivors into their communities.
HEALTH SECURITY
USAID partners with the GVN to create inclusive, sustainable health care systems to address long standing and emerging infectious disease threats. USAID supports Vietnam’s goals of ending AIDS and tuberculosis by 2030. USAID also partners with Vietnam to strengthen the country’s defenses against public health threats stemming from animals, including developing a large-scale, multidisciplinary network of professionals across the human, animal, and environmental health interface.
ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY
Vietnam is one of the world’s top five most vulnerable countries to climate change. Although Vietnam is a modest greenhouse gas emitter, in recent decades it has been one of the fastest-growing per capita emitters worldwide. Despite being known as one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, Vietnam is a hub for the illegal wildlife trade and home to one of the highest proportions of threatened species in the world. USAID partners with Vietnam to improve its environmental security and maintain ecosystem services vital to its sustainable growth, including through transitioning to clean energy, improving sustainable forest management, protecting the natural environment and conserving biodiversity, countering wildlife trafficking, reducing pollution, and strengthening disaster preparedness and response.
OVERCOMING WAR LEGACIES
As part of U.S. efforts to address legacies from the Vietnam War, USAID provides support for persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent Orange. USAID is working jointly with the GVN to remediate contaminated soil at Bien Hoa Air Base, the largest remaining dioxin hot spot in Vietnam, following the successful clean-up of Danang Airport. USAID also supports Vietnam’s efforts to identify its war dead, through applying cutting-edge DNA technology. This work contributes to both countries’ efforts to overcome the past, build trust, and strengthen bilateral relations.
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Vietnam Country Development Cooperation Strategy 2020 - 2025
