According to VietNamNet, citing VNEconomy, former Microsoft chairman, Bill Gates will start a match-based healthcare fund in Vietnam, following similar initiatives in other SE Asian nations.

The program would call for affluent Vietnamese to donate $50 million to improve the country’s healthcare system. For each dollar donated by locals, Gates would match it with one dollar of his own. One Vietnamese businessman has allegedly committed $5 million already.

While there has been no official announcement from Gates or his philanthropic organization, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, “this program is consistent with the existing action plans of Mr. Gates in Southeast Asia,” according to the paper.

The donation-matching program wouldn’t be the first for Vietnam as VinaCapital has supported similar efforts by VCF. Their most successful program, "Heartbeat Vietnam," offers free surgery for children with heart diseases and has helped support treatment for 3,000 Vietnamese children to date.

Hopefully this program materializes as it includes an element of local accountability instead of just handing over a check.

[VietNamNet // Photo via DFID]