Experts in Vietnam unveiled the country’s first quality of life measurement, derived from data taken from health evaluations, paving the way for future's survey to assess public and domestic health.

The set of measurements was released at a health and economic assessment conference in Hanoi on Tuesday.

The data was collected and evaluated by a research group at the Hanoi University of Public Health, said Hoang Van Minh, the school’s vice-president.

To compile the statistics, researchers spent more than a year surveying Vietnamese citizens using European health questionnaires tailored for Vietnamese respondents.

The surveys served the dual purpose of assessing public health and domestic health for segments of the population in a range of economic tiers, with the latter crucial to decisions on prioritizing and allocating limited national health resources, including public health support by the state.

The measurement takes into account a number of factors such as physical mobility and self-care habits such as washing the body and clothes, as well as engagement in everyday activities such as sports, household chores, and employment.

It also considers the physical pain and mental suffering brought on by worry and sadness, as well as the choice between health technology and medicine in case of illness.

The quality of life measurement is expected to be released to the general public via the Internet in order to give Vietnamese citizens the opportunity to learn more about their well-being.

Experts said at the conference that Vietnam’s healthcare costs are high in comparison to many countries around the world, and doctors and policymakers have not had a reliable database from which to choose the most suitable health intervention for each individual.

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