Introduction

Vietnam is known for its remarkable economic and human development in the last 30 years. From one of the poorest nations in the world, the country successfully transformed to a lower-to-middle income country in 2010. Besides economic growth, Vietnam has also witnessed impressive human development as the country’s Human Development Index (HDI) value increased by 45.9 percent between 1990 and 2018 (UNDP, 2019). However, despite the huge and stable growth in the economy and human development, the country records low utilization of health services, especially among poor demographics. This study examines the impacts of health inequalities, political, economic, and social determinants on health utilization.

To begin, I present a comprehensive review of relevant literature on health inequalities, state-led development, economic growth and human development inter-links, and the biopsychosocial model. In addition, an overview of the country is provided to understand Vietnam’s current situation. Then, I will discuss the problems of and the link between health inequalities and low health utilization in Vietnam. Lastly, the research concludes by providing some suggestions as solution to the problem.