ADB provides 600,000 grant to support Vietnam’s COVID-19 response
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has provided a 600,000 USD grant in-kind to assist the Vietnamese government in the fight against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Volunteers receive advice on December 10 before registering participation in the human trial of Nanocovax, a made-in-Vietnam vaccine against COVID-19 (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has provided a 600,000USD grant in-kind to assist the Vietnamese government in the fight against thecoronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
The ADB commends the Vietnamese government for their quick and effectiveemergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, said ADB Country Director for VietnamAndrew Jeffries.
“Under strong leadership of the Government and with public self-consciousness,Vietnam is among few countries that have successfully contained the impact fromthe COVID-19 pandemic,” he said in the bank’s news release on December 11.
The grant is funded by two ADB Technical Assistance Special Funds. The first providedpersonal protective equipment valued at 500,000 USD to the National LungHospital under the Ministry of Health. The second helped upgrade equipmentvalued at 100,000 USD for the Public Health Emergency Operation Centre (PHEOC)under the Ministry of Health’s General Department of Preventive Medicine.
The personal protective equipment will help protect health workers fromcoronavirus transmission, which is essential in the prolonged fight againstCOVID-19. The upgraded equipment in the PHEOC will significantly improve theefficiency of the Ministry of Health’s coordinated activities in the publichealth emergency outbreaks.
In April this year, the ADB approved a 20 billion USD expanded assistancepackage to support its developing members’ COVID-19 response.
In Vietnam, the ADB has been working with other development partners tosupport the government’s ongoing efforts in fighting the COVID-19. Its assistance aims to provide additional resources to strengthen Vietnam’s capacityfor outbreak response./.
Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam, said on December 8 that the Vietnamese Government’s quick and effective response in combination with the public’s trust and observance of prevention and control measures were key to the country’s success in containing the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic is causing serious impacts on all countries around the world, Vietnam’s patriotic emulation movements on COVID-19 prevention and control have proved effective, contributing to putting the pandemic under control.
The Government’s relief package of 62 trillion VND (2.6 billion USD) for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic has been largely considered appropriate, timely and well-targeted, a citizens’ survey released on December 8 revealed.
Four new cases of COVID-19 were detected in the past 24 hours, all Vietnamese citizens returning from abroad and being quarantine in Phu Yen province, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control.
Vietnam now boasts a nationwide healthcare network with 1,665 hospitals, 384 of which are non-public, supported by local commune- and ward-level stations. At the end of 2024, hospital bed capacity reached 34 per 10,000 people, slightly above the global average.
The 56-year-old patient from Quang Tri province was discharged in stable condition as he no longer experienced shortness of breath and was able to walk, move around, and eat normally.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Vu Trung, Director of the Pasteur Institute, said that under the MoU, the two sides committed to promoting diverse and practical collaborative activities, including joint conferences and workshops, exchanges of scholars, researchers and students, sharing academic materials, and the development of specific programmes and projects in scientific research, training, and epidemic prevention.
TytoCare, a leading Israeli telemedicine company based in Netanya, is willing to work with Vietnamese regulators, insurers, and healthcare providers to develop a sustainable digital health ecosystem.
The partnership is under the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding on the development and implementation of the National Action Plan on Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control, signed in Hanoi on July 22.
An estimated 7 million Vietnamese are currently living with diabetes, but about 50% remain undiagnosed, a dangerous gap that is fuelling serious, preventable complications and increasing the burden on the healthcare system.
In 2024, Vietnam achieved 99% coverage for the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, up from 80% in 2023. Immunisation coverage in the country has not only rebounded to the high levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic but has now surpassed the rates recorded in 2019.
Health authorities in HCM City have issued an urgent alert after six people died from dengue fever, amid a spike in infections driven by the onset of the rainy season.
During the peak months of July and August 2025, the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) needs at least 90,000 units of blood to supply 180 hospitals in the northern region. However, despite continuous efforts, the reserve blood is still short of 30,000 units.
The Hanoi ceremony highlighted efforts to ensure all citizens, especially women and youth, can access accurate information and healthcare services to make informed reproductive choices.
After such a long time, the law has revealed many limitations, prompting the Ministry of Health (MoH) to gather opinions to amend the law to give more chances to thousands of patients every year.
Currently, cardiovascular specialists from the 108 Military Central Hospital are working alongside a team of Prof.Dr. Jan D. Schmitto, Deputy Director of MHH’s Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery on clinical trials for MCS devices, implanted in heart failure patients either as a bridge to transplantation or as permanent treatment.
The centre not only serves residents living on the island, but also receives tens of thousands of visitors every year, according to Assoc Prof Dr Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the HCM CIty Department of Health.
Not only does Vietnam attract international tourists with its landscapes, culture, and cuisine, but it is also gradually becoming a reliable destination for medical treatment, offering high-quality services at reasonable costs.
Over the past six months, 150 communal health stations in provinces including Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Tay Ninh, Hau Giang, Ben Tre and Ca Mau have been equipped with information technology systems. In addition, 117 key provincial healthcare workers have received training, with thousands more expected to follow.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Ministry of Health swiftly launched a telemedicine programme, connecting more than 1,000 medical establishments nationwide. The model, which remains in operation, has benefited tens of thousands of patients, including foreign nationals.
After more than three weeks of intensive treatment, the patient's pneumonia improved, breathing stabilised, sedation was reduced, and the breathing tube was removed. He is now conscious, able to eat orally, and in recovery.
Volunteers receive advice on December 10 before registering participation in the human trial of Nanocovax, a made-in-Vietnam vaccine against COVID-19 (Photo: VNA) 
