Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien signs at the meeting as a commitment to responsible antibiotics use. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Health (MoH) encourages individuals to use antibiotics responsibly by taking the medicine only with doctors’ prescriptions.
It was heard at a meeting held by the MoH and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Hanoi on November 21 in response to the Antibiotics Awareness Week in Vietnam from November 16-22.
The WHO has adopted the slogan “No action today, no cure tomorrow” to call on an international effort to fight against antimicrobial resistance.
In her opening remarks, Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said antimicrobial resistance is a global issue today, particularly in developing countries, including Vietnam. It causes hundreds of thousands of deaths and billions of US dollars in economic loss every year, Tien noted.
The WHO warned that antimicrobial resistance is a serious threat to the capacity of healthcare system in treating common infectious diseases in the future, she added.
The minister asked the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development; Environment and Natural Resources; Industry and Trade, Education and Training; and Information and Communication to coordinate more closely with the MoH in the antibiotics awareness campaign.
She proposed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to design policies for the reduction or the ban on antibiotics use in breeding while the provincial departments of health should actively carry out the national action plan on combating antimicrobial resistance between 2013 and 2020 at their localities.
Healthcare prof♒essionals must take full accountability and responsibility in prescribing and dispensing antibiotics 🌠while farmers need to pay heed to using antibiotics properly in agricultural production, she said.-VNA
Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Xuyen has raised her worry about the increasing antibiotic resistance caused by inappropriate use in treatment of anti-bacterial contamination in Vietnam.
Experiences on coordination, implementation and collaboration in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Vietnam have been shared at a workshop in Hanoi.
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.
Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien signs at the meeting as a commitment to responsible antibiotics use. (Photo: VNA)
