The role of the privatization process on tuberculosis control in HoChiMinhCity Province, Vietnam

In Vietnam, tuberculosis is a major health problem, especially in HoChiMinh City Province where living conditions are marginal and HIV infection is in creasing. As Vietnam has gradually shifted to a market economy, this also h as implications for the health care system. More and more private practitio ners are emerging. At present, case-finding and treatment of tuberculosis i s under the control of Vietnam's National Tuberculosis Program (NTP). The a uthors argue that the process of privatization might have consequences for the implementation of a public health program such as the NTP. This argumen t has been illustrated by using a case study on the functioning of the NTP in HoChiMinh City Province. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reser ved.