The problem.

With support from the World Health Organization, Vietnam has made dramatic

improvements in drinking water supply since 2000.

Today, while 98% of Vietnam’s 90 million residents have access to “improved” drinking

water, piped water still only reaches 10% of the rural and 61% of the urban population. An “improved” water source does not mean the water is safe to drink. Water supplied through pipes can be hazardous if the water supply is intermittent or treatment is insufficient. Water from an “improved” source may still be contaminated with fecal matter or chemicals.

The use of improved sanitation facilities in Vietnam has increased from 36% in 1990 to 78% in 2015. Vietnam’s Ministry of Health estimates that 1 in 10 people in rural areas continues to use primitive latrines and release their wastes directly into ponds and rivers. Tens of millions still face high risks of arsenic and other chemical contaminants due to discharge from commercial and industrial processes.

According to Dr. Nguyen Huy Nga, Senior Advisor, Viet Nam Ministry of Health, “Many people in Viet Nam have a motorbike or a mobile phone, but they do not have a toilet. We need to work to change attitudes and beliefs on sanitation.” 

Vietnam has committed to the Global Sanitation and Water for All partnership to eliminate open defecation by 2025. By 2030, Vietnam aspires to have safe drinking water access for all its citizens.