Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam and Denmark are working on newcooperation in the health sector, aiming to improve the prevention, earlydetection and management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Vietnam.

NCDs kill 380,000 people in Vietnam a year, equivalent to 73 percent of alldeaths annually with 40 percent dying before the age of 70, higher than theregional average of 17.1 percent, according to the World Health Organisation.

It is also estimated that about 12 million Vietnamese peoplehave high blood pressure, while nearly three million people have diabetes, twomillion have chronic heart and lung problems and nearly 120,000 fresh cancercases are reported annually.

“Denmark is ready to assist Vietnam in the prevention andcontrol of NCDs,” Minister of Health of Denmark Ellen Trane Nørby saidwhile she met with Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc during her recentHanoi visit. She noted that Denmark was very interested in NCDs prevention andcontrol in cooperation with Vietnam.

At a Hanoi meeting discussing non-communicable disease prevention held on April10, the minister said Vietnam and Denmark are both pursuing healthcare reforms tostrengthen the primary healthcare system as one of the key components infighting chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovasculardiseases.

“Thisis also an area of direct bilateral cooperation between the two ministries ofhealth,” she said. “The two ministries have worked together verywell.”

In September, 2016, the health ministries of Vietnam andDenmark inked a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in healthcare,providing a foundation for the launch of a cooperation project on NCDsprevention and management at primary level in 2016-2018 in northern Thai Binhprovince dealing with diabetes and hypertension.

Underthe project, 30 commune health stations in four districts were selected andafter an extensive evaluation, the training of the healthcare workers willbegin in mid-April. The first set of materials have been crafted to provide anew approach to patient-centred prevention and care of diabetes andhypertension.

The goal of the pilot project in Thai Binh is to expand healthcare services atcommune health stations to include more prevention of NCDs, earlier detectionof NCDs and basic management of patients. 

Besides diabetes and hypertension, the project is expected to expand to otherdisease groups.

Under the ministries’ cooperation, during the next two years from2018, national guidelines and tools for prevention, early detection andtreatment of selected NCDs are expected to be developed. 

Best practices and ideas will be gathered for the development of newguidelines, implementation manuals, communication materials and other tools forfrontline healthcare workers to prevent, detect and treat NCDs.-VNA