The History of Vietnam
The Vietnam War has a major influence on people's perspective of Vietnam as a business environment. In recent years, the Vietnamese economy has been on the rise since 2012. There is a lot of bilateral trade going on between Vietnam and the United States amounting up to over 6 billion USD (UKTI Team in Vietnam, 2013). Vietnam should be considered for business ventures since it offers a large number of opportunities. Vietnam is among the top ten fastest growing economies in the world. The government of Vietnam is also calling for foreign investors to invest in Vietnam in various sectors, including the public sector. The country offers numerous opportunities for various sectors such as infrastructure, defense, and security, education, retail, rail and ports among others. For this paper, I will focus on healthcare and pharmaceuticals.
The country has a large population of over 89 million people who are in need of health care services, medical equipment and devices and pharmaceuticals (UKTI Team in Vietnam, 2013). Pharmaceutical production in Vietnam is still weak, and the country spends over I billion USD yearly to import medicine and pharmaceuticals from foreign countries (UKTI Tean in Vietnam, 2013). Only 5% of the medical equipment is made in the country and the rest is imported, with most equipment in the country failing to reach international standards. The healthcare systems in Vietnam are yet to develop, and over 30,000 patients are forced to seek treatment outside the country annually. The government is luring investors to invest in the health care sector using low taxes, tax exemption for up to 4 years and reduction on rent up to 7 years (UKTI Tean in Vietnam, 2013).
Population
The high population in the country of 89 million people makes the country the 42nd largest economy. Since 1986, the country has renovated its system to accommodate a friendlier market-oriented model. The country’s GDP is expected to be on a steady rise of 5.6% up to the year 2020. The population is Vietnam is the 13 largest in the world. The countries labor force is estimated to be 4.1 million in 2012, and it increases by a million each year (UKTI Team in Vietnam, 2013). The population is young with the median age in the country being 28 years. Doing business can offer certain challenges due to the cultural differences. Unlike in most cultures where a smile means that a proposal has been accepted, nodding and a smile has a different meaning in Honk Kong. Businesspeople should also know a person well enough before getting into a business partnership with them. In Vietnam, disputes are solved amicably and outside of court. When matters have to be solved in a court of law, the business partnership is termed as null and void. Just like in other business environments, personal relationships are of great value to individuals who tend to succeed in their business ventures in Vietnam.
The capital city of Vietnam is Ho Chi Minh City and has a population of over 7 million people (UKTI Team in Vietnam, 2013). The Vietnamese have a high respect for the word of mouth and are likely to believe something if they have heard it from one of their own. This is an important factor to consider when trying to carry out an advertising campaign or a promotion. The Vietnamese people also have certain ideologies on goods; goods from Japan are durable, Germany is associated with highly advanced technology, France is fashionable while the United Kingdom is related to high quality and highly priced goods (UKTI Team in Vietnam, 2013). Internet penetration in the country is among the highest in the world, a factor which offers opportunities in online marketing. Language can pose as a barrier for businessmen since a majority of people in the country are not familiar with the English language. Vietnamese is the official language in Vietnam, and English is considered as a second language. It is important that a business man understands the culture of their new business environment before venturing into it. The country has managed to remain stable despite the fact that the country is in the middle of a war zone (UKTI Tean in Vietnam, 2013). The country is surrounded by warring countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq.
Diseases in Vietnam
One of the major diseases affecting the people of Vietnam is Malaria. Malaria causes up to 40% of deaths worldwide. During the Vietnam conflict, malaria was responsible for the loss of over I million man days and over 18,000 veterans had to be transferred back to the United States after they fell ill (Berger Md.). Vietnam has faced numerous challenges over the years. Up to the year 1975, Vietnam was considered a war zone. After the war, the country was left without information and resources to assist them to deal with the health crisis in Vietnam. Apart from Malaria, HIV/AIDS is a major health concern in Vietnam. The cases of deaths resulting from HIV and AIDS has been on a steady rise from 2000 deaths in 1999 to 14,000 deaths in the year 2009 (Berger Md.). The figure has stabilized since then, but the disease is still responsible for over 10,000 deaths annually. In the year 1999, over 3200 children were orphaned by HIV.
HIV is the 9th leading cause of death in Vietnam accounting for 9% of deaths in Vietnam. The high rate of HIV/AIDS infections in the Vietnam is attributed to Intravenous Drug Users (IDUs), female sex workers, and men having sex with men (MSM). Commercial sex workers and addiction to drugs have caused major obstacles to the fight against HIV/AIDS. By 2007, 300,000 people were living with HIV/ AIDS, which accounted for 0.53% of the population (Berger Md.). IDU males and especially men having sex with men are responsible for high rates of infection in Vietnam. Among preventive measures include the use of clean needles and protection during sexual intercourse. Drug users and especially IDUs have hindered any major milestones as far as AIDS/HIV is concerned. The needle exchange program is yet to be properly rolled out. The single use syringe is exactly what Vietnam needs in the war against HIV and AIDS and to prevent the number of new infections in the country.
The Single Use Syringe by Marc Kosko
Blood borne diseases are transmitted through the contact of blood with an infected person. In the year 1984, a man by the name Marc Koska read of the numerous number of death which are associated with HIV/AIDS. In 1984, prediction had been made that the use of reusable needles, would account for the largest number of new infections. Needles account for 5% of new infections of HIV/ AIDS all over the world today (Clarke, 2015). This accounts for up to 260, 000 infections worldwide. Unsafe injections are known to transmit blood-borne diseases, especially among IDUs. Koska carried out a 30-year-old campaign advocating for safe syringes which were nonreusable. The single use syringe was to be disposed of after use and as such it is meant to reduce the number of infections from unsafe injections. With HIV/AIDS claiming over 1.3 million lives annually, Koska saw the need to come up with a newer and safer method of injecting people (Clarke, 2015). Reusable syringes were widely used across the world to save on cost.
A study by WHO on all the injections performed in 2000 revealed that of the 16.7 billion injections, 40% of these were unsafe. A doctor in Cambodia was charged with murder after he infected 100 patients using a reusable syringe (Clarke, 2015). Reusable syringes are still used in many parts of the world, and the single use syringe is still receiving resistance from stakeholders in the health care sector such as manufacturers. The single use syringe incurs the same cost of manufacturing as the other needles which is 5 cents per needle. The single use syringe was invented using existing technology which is simple and cheap. Unsafe injections are also responsible for the transmittal of other diseases such as hepatitis B and Hepatitis C and is capable of transmitted other blood-borne diseases such as Ebola (Clarke, 2015). This poses a major health menace across the world with certain individuals believing that drugs are not as effective when as injections.
Aids and IUDs in Vietnam
The Aids pandemic has a significant influence on the Vietnamese people, and this problem is mostly caused by the use of reusable syringes especially among IDUs who are also infected with HIV (Ahmed, Long, Huong, & Stewart, 2015). The single use syringe had failed to pick well in other parts of the world for some time until recent days when the single use syringe was approved by the WHO. With the large population of over 89 million people and a weak health care sector, the Vietnamese people will gain substantially from the new invention which is the single use syringe. Online penetration in the country is happening at a very high speed which widens the possibility for online marketing of the product to the Vietnamese people.
Unsafe Injections
The single syringe use is an effective tool that is being used all over the world to deal with the menace that is HIV/AIDS. In Vietnam, the infection has shifted to the northern part of the country and is prevalent in Hai Phong (Ahmed, Long, Huong, & Stewart, 2015). This prevalence is associated with increased number of IDUs in that region of the country. IDUs are also likely to engage in irresponsible sexual behavior leading to the high increase in the number of infections among this group of people. There is a significant need for reducing the potential harm of IDUs transmitting infection through unsafe injection by the introduction of the single use syringe. Prevalence of the infection is at 20%, but there is a potential that these figures will reach 50% infection among IDUs. In some parts of Vietnam, prevalence is between 70 and 80% among IDUs (Ahmed, Long, Huong, & Stewart, 2015).
The first case of infection in Vietnam was detected in 1990 and seven years later, 32.8% of IDUs were infected (Ahmed, Long, Huong, & Stewart, 2015). Group injecting is a common scenario among the IDUs. The lack of finances is one of the reasons why most of these individuals engage in group injections. Drugs are bought and used jointly since most users cannot afford the drugs on their own. People with the same character traits are also more likely to feel a sense of intimacy which might lead to reckless behavior such as the sharing of needles.
The IDUs have a sharing culture which allows them to share needles, water containers and drugs among other personal paraphernalia. Indirect sharing during the mixing of the drugs is also a primary source of the new HIV infections among the IDUs. The lack of access to needles due to the fear of the police also accounts for some of the reasons why IDUs share needles. IDUs are aware of the risks that are associated with sharing needles. Most of them intend to use separate needles, but at times they are forced by circumstances. Accessibility and affordability of the syringes is a major challenge to IDUs who are dependent on drugs. Punitive measures which are taken against IDUs by the law enforcers limit their ability to access clean syringes which they can use for their injections (Ahmed, Long, Huong, & Stewart, 2015).
Marketing plan
Vietnam is receptive of foreign products and the major challenge faced by new entrants in Vietnam is the lack of consumer awareness. Due to the cultural differences, it is important that new entrants familiarize themselves well enough with the culture of the Vietnamese people. There is the need for personal relationships with the Vietnamese people if a business venture or partnership is expected to thrive in the environment. The Vietnamese people rely heavily on close-knit relationships, and the word of mouth technique is a better marketing strategy in Vietnam when compared with other means such as press and newspaper adverts (UKTI Team in Vietnam, 2013). The referral method and networking are the most efficient marketing strategies. Customer satisfaction will lead customers to recommend friends and family who are more willing to believe the word of somebody they know and trust.
Internet marketing is gaining popularity in the country with the country being recognized for its internet penetration over the recent years. The Vietnamese people are specifically interested in movies and most of their websites deal with the local movies in the country. The social media network is yet to pick, with the Vietnamese government receiving more views than other popular websites such as Facebook (UKTI Team in Vietnam, 2013). Other popular sites in Vietnam include Zing. The government is a little reluctant as far as social media websites are concerned, and bloggers and internet marketers should be cautious to avoid getting into trouble with the authorities which might lead to the seizure of business permits or limitations of the business person. Internet marketing is making tremendous progress due to the increased number of Internet users. 18% of internet users in Vietnams order goods online.
Before one can embark on a marketing plan, there is the need to understand the audience, the product and the consumer. The culture of the Vietnamese people is unique, and if one is going to succeed in the business environment, there is the need to learn and understand the culture of the Chinese people and then use it to one’s advantage. The business person needs to form meaningful business relations with the Vietnamese people (UKTI Tean in Vietnam, 2013). The Vietnamese people have a high regard for personalized business relationships which are very effective when doing business with them. The Vietnamese people are more likely to believe the word of mouth, and it is important that customer satisfaction is ensured so that the customer can make referrals.
The marketing campaign will target IDUs and other stakeholders in the healthcare sector such as pharmacists, government hospitals and private hospitals among others. Awareness program will be made through various media sources such as the television, the newspapers, social media, word of mouth and awareness workshops and seminars. The purpose of the awareness program is to bring the value proposition to the target customer. Through these awareness programs, the target audience will be able to understand why the reusable syringes are risky and why the single use syringe is a safer method (Huong, Mundy, Neukom, Zule, & Tuan, 2015). Numerous campaigns will be made to enable IDUs the easy access to syringes to avoid them engaging in risky behavior such as sharing needles and group injections. The awareness program is also meant to educate the policy makers ways by which they can avoid increasing the number of risks these individuals put themselves through, which can be prevented by making needles available in public places at all times of the day. The dangers of sharing syringes will also be revealed during these campaigns.
The cost of manufacturing is low with the use of readily available technology and materials, and hence, the needles are affordable. The needles will cost the same price since the cost of manufacturing is the same for both the reusable needle and the single use syringe. The needle is, however, safer to use since it can only be used once reducing the temptation of sharing and risk individual infecting one another. The WHO has also revealed studies which show that reusable needles are not safe. A study in 2000 revealed that 40% of infections which were done in that year were unsafe (Clarke, 2015).
The Vietnamese people are literate and have the ability to read labels on products. The syringes will be well labeled to enable first time users understand why the single-use syringes are more beneficial to the user as compared to the reusable needles. Television will also be used to advertise the product since women spend a lot of their time watching television and are the primary decision makers in the Vietnamese culture. The government website which is visited by a majority of the Vietnamese people more than any other website in the country will also be used to create awareness and advertise the single use syringes (Huong, Mundy, Neukom, Zule, & Tuan, 2015).
Internet marketing through the social media and online marketing services will be used due to the high level of confidentiality involved (Huong, Mundy, Neukom, Zule, & Tuan, 2015). Through the internet, identity is easy to conceal, and most people who are dependent on drugs are more likely to order online. Business partnerships with chemists, pharmaceuticals, policy makers and other retailers such as supermarkets will ensure that the single use syringe which is safer is readily available for users. The advert will involve a significant figure in the Vietnamese culture. The character must be associated with the acting of movies since the Vietnamese people are passionate about local movies. Other aspects of the Vietnamese culture will also be included in the marketing program, for example, the Vietnamese language. This will enable the Vietnamese people to familiarize with the product. Well trained distributors will be recruited to facilitate the accessibility of the single use syringe to outside provinces such as Hon Phong.
The single use syringe will be made available in all the three major cities of Vietnam and all the areas of the country where IDUs and HIV infections are prevalent. People are less likely to share syringes if they have access to newer ones. The marketing program will also target pharmacies and educate them on the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of their customers. Most IDUs are likely to feel ashamed to buy the syringes from pharmacies with the fear of being identified as drug abusers (Huong, Mundy, Neukom, Zule, & Tuan, 2015). The distribution network of the syringes will, therefore, involve other retailers for example regular shops and tea shops, where people do not have to feel vulnerable. Lack of awareness of the potential risk and how people can gain access to safer needles is one of the reasons why people engage in risky injecting behavior. Most reuses take place at night when pharmacies are likely to be closed. Making the syringes available in bulk and at odd hours will ensure that most individuals can access the syringes despite the time of day (Huong, Mundy, Neukom, Zule, & Tuan, 2015).
References
Ahmed, T., Long, T. N., Huong, P. T., & Stewart, D. E. (2015). Drug Injecting and HIV risk among drug users in Hai Phong, Vietnam: A Qualitative Analysis. National Center for Biotechnological inventions.
Berger Md., S. (n.d.). Infectious diseases of vietnam;. Gideon Informatics Inc.
Clarke, J. S. (2015, February 23). One Man's Campaign To Eradicate the Dirty Needles That Kill 1.3 million a year. . Retrieved from The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2015/feb/23/one-mans-campaign-to-eradicate-the-dirty-needles-that-kill-13-million-a-year
Huong, N. T., Mundy, G., Neukom, J., Zule, W., & Tuan, N. M. (2015). Social marketing of low dead space syringes in Vietnam: findings from a 1-year pilot program in Hanoi, Thai Nguyen, and Ho Chi Minh City. Harm Reduction Journal.
UKTI Tean in Vietnam. (2013). Doing Business in Vietnam. UK Trade and Investment, 1-19.
