Hanoi’s tuberculosis (TB) prevention programme was effectively implemented in all communes and wards in 2020, benefiting all the population of the capital city.
Hanoi (VNA) - Hanoi’s tuberculosis (TB) prevention programme was effectively implementedin all communes and wards in 2020, benefiting all the population of the capitalcity.
In the first nine months, 16,046 local people suspected of suffering from TB wereexamined, with 1,156 testing positive.
The programme helped detect and treat 2,821 TB cases of all types.
The management and treatment of TB patients has seen satisfactory results, with1,233 people cured out of 1,289 TB AFB (acid fastbacilli) (+) cases, or 95.6 percent.
There were 184 out of 201 TB AFB (+) patients with bacteriological evidence whorecovered from the disease, or 91.6 percent.
Hanoi has realised the goals set in the National Strategy for TBPrevention and Control by 2020 with a vision towards 2030, with 80 percent of new casesof AFB (+) being detected and 92 percent of detected patients recovering fromthe disease.
The positive results are attributed to Hanoi’s extensive anti-TB network in alldistricts, communes, wards and towns, and the application of modern techniquesto quickly and effectively treat diagnosed cases.
Attention has also been paid to promoting communications to raise public awarenessabout the dangers of TB.
TB remains the leading cause of death in theworld, resulting in nearly 2 million fatalities every year, with drug-resistantTB threatening global health. In Vietnam, the World Health Organisation (WHO)estimates that there are nearly 130,000 new cases of TB diagnosed each year,resulting in some 16,000 deaths in the country in 2015.
Vietnam is 16th among 30 countries with thehighest number of TB patients in the world, and is 13th among 30 countries facingthe burden of multi drug-resistant TB.
The country is leading, however, in TBprevention efforts. The rate of successful treatment of multi drug-resistant TBis over 70 percent; much higher than the global average of 54 percent.
Thanks to early detection and treatment,TB-related deaths fell by 3,000 during 2015-2016. Vietnam has set a target of cuttingthe number of TB infections by 30 percent and fatalities by 40 percent during2015-2020./.
Delegates at a conference in Hanoi on August 15 discussed measures to complete tuberculosis (TB) treatment facilities in 15 provinces that have yet to build special hospitals for this disease.
Detecting tuberculosis (TB) cases at an early date requires efforts of not only the health sector but also the entire community, heard a meeting of the National Steering Committee for TB Prevention and Control in Hanoi on March 9.
A lung expert has called for more active public participation in tuberculosis (TB) prevention and control to eradicate the disease from Vietnam by 2030.
A national teleconference in Hanoi on March 24 called on the public to work harder to turn the peril of the COVID-19 pandemic into an opportunity for Vietnam for eradicating tuberculosis (TB) by 2030.
A COVID-19 patient, who also suffered from diabetes type 1, long-time debilitation and heart failure, died in the morning of August 11, becoming the 16th fatality in the country.
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.
Taking care of a TB patient (Photo: VNA) 
