Health Ministry launches hand-washing communications campaign
The Ministry of Health (MoH) on May 15 launched a public communications campaign in order to encourage people to wash their hands more frequently as a way of minimising risk of catching diseases.
The Ministry of Health launches a public communications campaign to encourage people to wash their hands regularly with soap. (Source: www.cdc.gov)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Health (MoH) on May 15 launched a public communications campaign in order to encourage people to wash their hands more frequently as a way of minimising risk of catching diseases.
Speaking before 300 delegates and nearly 2,500 students and teachers at the ceremony in Hanoi, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said washing hands frequently with soap is an effective, simple and cheap hygienic measure.
A MoH research showed the rate of malnutrition at children aged under five could be cut from 1 to 10 percent if mothers wash their hands regularly.
The minister also called all sectors, governments at all levels, organisations, agencies, social-political organisations and the mass media to coordinate with the MoH to step up public communications efforts to bring the message of “Washing hands with soap regularly” to people from all corners of the country.
The campaign will come to provinces and cities via activities at communities, schools and the mass media.
A competition is also opened on the campaign’s fanpage www.facebook.com/10trieubantaysach to promote the practice to people from more walks of life.
The Unilever Vietnam Fund also responded to the campaign with “Fighting diseases seasonally” programme at 22 provinces and cities nationwide.
𝔉 According to the latest survey carried out by the MoH, only 23 percent of respondents said they wash their hands before meals and 36 percent wash their hands after going to toilet.-VNA
The child survival gap within and between countries can be narrowed if proven and cost-effective interventions for pneumonia and diarrhoea are scaled up to reach the most disadvantaged children, according to a new report from UNICEF.
The World Bank (WB) has confirmed a package of 239 million USD from the bank’s IDA and 46 million USD from (IBRD) to implement the second phase of the Coastal Cities Environmental Sanitation Project.
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.
The Ministry of Health launches a public communications campaign to encourage people to wash their hands regularly with soap. (Source: www.cdc.gov)
