COVID-19 meets criteria for Group B infectious diseases: PM
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is also Head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, chaired the committee's 20th meeting via teleconference with all 63 provinces and centrally-run cities of the country.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the meeting. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is also Head of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, chaired the committee's 20th meeting via teleconference with all 63 provinces and centrally-run cities of the country.
🐈 According to the committee, Vietnam has so far recorded over 11.5 million COVID-19 infections, including more than 43,100 deaths, equivalent to 0.37% of the total caseload.
Currently, the rate of hospitalised COVID-19 patients is lowerthan that of some Group B infectious diseases, and the rate of severe cases isequal to or lower than that of some Group B infectious diseases such as dengue feverand hand-foot-mouth disease. Participants at the meeting said that COVID-19 had met the criteria for Group B infectiousdiseases as prescribed in Point b, Clause 1, Article 3 of the Law on Prevention and Controlof Infectious Diseases. Accordingly,it is necessary for the Government, ministries, agencies and localities toadjust regulations, policies and requirements in line with the new situation aswell as review issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control inthe past three years. PM Chinh stressed that the numbers of infections and fatalities have decreasedsharply compared to the figures in 2021 and 2022. However, the announcement of the end of theCOVID-19 pandemic will be made in accordance with the law, and there will be other adjustments, he said. According tothe PM, in the coming time, the COVID-19 pandemic will not come to an end its consequences will still linger, therefore, pandemic prevention and control work must be continued. It is necessary to improve the capacity of grassroots and preventive healthcare systems, overcome the aftermath of the pandemic and continue to stablise the lives of people, especially those directly affected by COVID-19. He assigned the Ministry of Health to guide other ministries, sectors and localities to review the prevention and control work, adjust related legal documents in line with the new situation, build plans to sustainably control COVID-19 in the new period as well as other epidemics that are likely to appear, and continue proper COVID-19 vaccinations. The PM also askedrelevant ministries and agencies to continue mobilising and utilising resourcesfor COVID-19 prevention and control, overcoming the consequences of the pandemic and carrying out social security activities./.
People will continue benefiting from free COVID-19 vaccinations in 2023, and funding will come from the state budget, the COVID-19 Vaccine Fund, with sponsorship from domestic and foreign organisations and individuals, along with other legal sources.
Continuing the ongoing fifth session, the 15th National Assembly will spend a whole day on May 29 to examine the mobilisation, management and use of resources for COVID-19 prevention and control, as well as the enforcement of laws and regulations regarding grassroots health care and preventive medicine.
The management, use and payment of resources for COVID-19 prevention and control work have basically followed guidelines and policies, the National Assembly's supervisory team reported to the 15th National Assembly's plenary session on May 29 morning.
Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan has said that Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh would chair a meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control this weekend to deliberate the downgrading of COVID-19 from its current placement in Class A infectious diseases down to Class B.
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.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the meeting. (Photo: VNA) 
