Vantive Executive Discusses Reframing Vietnam's Dialysis Challenge

Why It Matters

Shifting to home‑based peritoneal dialysis can relieve hospital capacity, lower national health spending, and broaden access for Vietnam’s largely rural population, marking a strategic move toward cost‑effective, patient‑centered renal care in Southeast Asia.

Key Takeaways

• HD dominates 80% of Vietnam dialysis, straining hospitals
• Rural patients lack access; 61% live outside major cities
• Limited reimbursement hinders peritoneal dialysis adoption
• Thailand’s PD‑first policy cut costs 8.3% and expanded access
• Vanture proposes reimbursement, partnerships, digital monitoring to scale PD

Pulse Analysis

Vietnam’s dialysis system is under severe strain, with roughly 43,000 patients receiving renal replacement therapy in 2025 across just 430 hemodialysis (HD) centers. The concentration of services in urban hospitals leaves 61% of the population—most of whom reside in rural areas—facing long travel times, delayed treatment, and higher complication rates. Over‑reliance on HD also taxes limited staffing and infrastructure, while peritoneal dialysis (PD) remains underutilized due to gaps in reimbursement and patient‑education support.

Thailand’s "PD‑first" policy offers a concrete blueprint for Vietnam. Implemented in 2008 after a pilot phase, the strategy prioritized home‑based PD, enabling the country to treat nearly 70,000 ESRD patients, including 34,000 on continuous ambulatory PD. The shift generated an estimated 8.3% reduction in national health‑insurance expenditures and demonstrated comparable clinical outcomes to HD, while preserving residual kidney function and improving quality of life. Thailand’s later move to a "free choice" model revealed workforce and cost pressures, prompting a reinstatement of the PD‑first approach in 2025, underscoring its sustainability.

Vantive’s roadmap for Vietnam builds on these lessons, calling for comprehensive reimbursement of PD supplies, standardized training, and robust public‑private partnerships to expand service reach. Digital tools such as remote patient monitoring and electronic medical records will enable real‑time adherence tracking and early complication detection, essential for scaling home dialysis safely. By aligning policy, supply‑chain reliability, and technology, Vietnam can alleviate hospital congestion, lower per‑patient costs, and deliver equitable kidney care to its underserved rural communities.