The rates of passive smoking both at home and workplaces in Vietnam declined from 73.1 percent and 55.9 percent in 2010 to 59.9 percent and 42.6 percent last year, respectively.
Deputy Minister of Health Pham Le Tuan at the conference (Source: cand.com.vn)
Hanoi (VNA)🌞 – The rates of passive smoking both at home and workplaces in Vietnam declined from 73.1 percent and 55.9 percent in 2010 to 59.9 percent and 42.6 percent last year, respectively.
The figures were reported at a conference on the implementation of the national tobacco harm prevention programme in 2016 held by the Ministry of Health in Hanoi on May 11. This is the result of a survey in 2015 jointly conducted by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organisation (WHO), Vietnam’s General Statistics Office and the Hanoi University of Medicine.
The survey also showed the rate of people exposed to tobacco smoke at schools decreased from 22.3 percent to 16.1 percent during the period while the exposure rate in public transportation means fell from 34.4 percent to 19.4 percent.
The rate of smoking among the 13-15 age group decreased from 3.3 percent in 2007 to 2.5 percent in 2014, with 90 percent of the young smokers expressing intention to stop.
However, Vietnam is still among countries with the highest male smoking rate.
According to Deputy Minister of Health Pham Le Tuan, the steering committees on tobacco harm prevention have been established in 62 cities and provinces.
Counselling for smoking cessation has also been provided at six hospitals across the country, including Bach Mai Hospital, which received more than 10,000 calls seeking help to quit smoking from July to December 2015, Tuan said.
The ministry called on ministries, local authorities and media agencies to join activities in response to the World No Tobacco (May 31) and the country’s No Tobacco Week (May 25-31).
The local authorities were urged to inspect the compliance of the Law of Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms and to raise public awareness on the issue and promote smoke-free workplaces.-VNA
The Ministry of Health and relevant agencies will launch more communications campaigns on legal documents targeting the building of a non-smoking environment, said Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Health Ministry’s Administration Department of Medical Services.
A scientific seminar “Public health in Vietnam: current situation and future perspective” was held in Hanoi on April 25, attracting scientists and policymakers at home and abroad.
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.
Deputy Minister of Health Pham Le Tuan at the conference (Source: cand.com.vn)
