Improving maternal, child health services in disadvantaged localities
The Health Ministry has unveiled its 2016-2020 action plan on mothers and children health care with a focus on narrowing down the gap among different areas across the nation.
A nurse takes care of newborns at the Tu Du Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) –ꦑ The Health Ministry has unveiled its 2016-2020 action plan on mothers and children health care with a focus on narrowing down the gap among different areas across the nation.
There exist substantial gaps in the rates of diseases and mortality as well as the quality of health services among areas, posing great challenges to the health sector.
A 2006-2007 survey showed that maternity-related deaths in mountainous localities accounted for 81.5 percent that of the entire nation. The figure was 81.2 percent in 2013 and 2014.
The mortality rate among children under one and five years old in mountainous areas is also the highest in the country, with little progress seen in recent years.
The shortage of paediatric and obstetric staff, particularly at district and provincial levels, has been a pressing issue.
As such, the ministry’s newly established national action plan will concentrate on providing essential services for pregnant women before, during and after childbirth as well as newborn care. Promoting nutrition and vaccination for mothers and children are also part of the plan.-VNA
Health experts from around the world have praised Vietnam for its efforts and achievements in maternal and child health care at a global forum held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from June 30 to July 1.
With the goal to completely eradicate HIV transmitted from mothers to children in 2015, the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang is launching a range of measures.
Over 450 scientists and managers working in preventive health nationwide gathered at a conference in Hanoi on October 2 to seek ways to increase the sector’s efficiency.
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.
A nurse takes care of newborns at the Tu Du Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: VNA)
