Mechanism boosts links in infectious disease prevention
An agreement on the “One Health Partnership” (OHP) mechanism aimed at preventing zoonotic diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans was signed at a ceremony in Hanoi on March 1.
Hanoi (VNA) 💛– An agreement on “One Health Partnership” (OHP) framework mechanism aimed at preventing zoonotic diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans was signed among 27 Vietnamese and international organisations at a ceremony in Hanoi on March 1.
Lying in the tropical area in Asia, Vietnam is one of the five hot spots of emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola, MERS-CoV, SARS and bird flu, which mainly originate from wild animals.
Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said a series of new diseases sourcing from animals have appeared in the early 21 st century, especially avian and human influenza.
To confront with the situation, in 2006, the Prime Minister agreed to set up a Partnership for Avian and Human Influenza (PAHI) mechanism, which helps promote closer cooperation between the Health Ministry and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and relevant ministries and sectors in the work.
This has contributed to successfully containing dangerous and new diseases, and effectively controlling influenza strain A/H5N1, he said, adding that Vietnam recorded no case of human influenza in 2015.
OHP is a new initiative of the Vietnamese Government in the strategy of preventing risks of animal-to-human infectious diseases. It is expected to offer a venue for partners in and outside the country to share experience and achievements in the field, thus giving policy recommendations to boost international links as well as effectively mobilise and use aid sources.
New partners will support Vietnam and Indonesia – the two first countries implementing the World Health Organisation's Zoonotic Disease Action Package (ZDAP), which is one of the 11 fields of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA). This will contribute to efforts of 40 GHSA member countries to protect people worldwide from suffering infectious diseases.-VNA
High-risk behaviours, such as using wild animals as food and as a medicine source will increase the danger of disease transmission from wild animals to people and domestic animals.
How to apply the One Health Initiative in combating emerging infectious diseases in the relations between humans, animals and the environment in Vietnam is being discussed at a two-day conference in Hanoi, which opened on April 3.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided 800,000 USD for a project to reduce risks from avian and pandemic influenza and other emerging infectious diseases in Vietnam.
Vietnam has taken the maximum effort and collaborated with international and regional countries to fight avian influenza H5N1, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam said.
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 ceremony (Source: VNA)
