Ho Chi Minh City’s Paediatrics Hospital No1’s neurology and infectious diseases department has admitted children with HIV whose mothers did not have HIV tests during their pregnancy.
A programme on HIV/AIDS prevention in HCM City. (Source: VNA)
HCM City (VNS/VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City’sPaediatrics Hospital No1’s neurology and infectious diseases department hasadmitted children with HIV whose mothers did not have HIV tests during theirpregnancy.
Dr Truong Huu Khanh, the department’s head, said thatthe mothers were not provided counselling about HIV tests during pregnancy.Many of them were examined periodically at private health facilities, he said.
“If they know their HIV status, they areprescribed medicines during pregnancy and childbirth, which can prevent morethan 98 percent of mother-to-child transmission of HIV,” he added.
The programme for prevention of mother-to-childtransmission has been carried out since 2005, said Nguyen Duc Vinh, head of theMinistry of Health’s maternal and child health department.
Vinh spoke at a conference on a national actionplan on eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, hepatitis B andsyphilis by 2030, held in HCM City on March 27.
The rate of women receiving HIV screening beforeand during pregnancy is 38.5 percent, while the rate of pregnant womenreceiving HIV tests during labour is 57.6 percent.
The country has nearly 2 million pregnant womenevery year, and of those, more than 3,800 have HIV. Between 1,140 and 1,520children are born from women infected with HIV.
Health staff’s counselling on HIV tests andother issues related to HIV for pregnant women is limited, according to Vinh.In addition, health insurance does not cover the fee for HIV tests, and thereare not enough free HIV tests to serve demand.
Many pregnant women are afraid of discriminationif they test positive for HIV, Vinh said.
The rate of pregnant women infected withhepatitis B accounts for 10 percent to 20 percent of all pregnant women. Ninetypercent of children born from these women will be infected with hepatitis B.
The Ministry of Health has plans to improvehealth care at grassroots-level health facilities with better communication andbroader access to preventive services related to HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis.
The rate of mother-to-child syphilistransmission is 40 percent to 70 percent, while the rate of pregnant womengetting syphilis tests accounts for only around 16 percent.
Tests for the three diseases will be included inpregnancy examinations at grassroots-level health facilities. This will helpthe country eliminate mother-to-child HIV, hepatitis B, and syphilis transmissionby 2030.-VNS/VNA
HCM City is expected to treat nearly 4,000 people with HIV/AIDS who have health insurance cards in the first quarter of next year, following the cessation of free treatment for all such patients in the country, according to the city HIV/AIDS Prevention Centre.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) organised a workshop in Hanoi on January 8 to launch a national action plan on the eradication of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis in the 2018-2030.
Health experts are advising people to take precautions to prevent epidemics and diseases that frequently occur in the first three months of the year during the humid weather and crowded festivals, said Tran Dac Phu, head of the Ministry of Health’s Department of Preventive Medicine.
The Department of Maternal and Child Health under the Ministry of Health (MoH) held a workshop in the central city of Da Nang on March 19 to launch a national action plan on the eradication of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis in the 2018-2030 period.
Leading ophthalmology experts shared their experiences in preventing blindness and treating eye diseases at the 2025 Ophthalmology Conference in Hanoi on August 8-9.
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.
A programme on HIV/AIDS prevention in HCM City. (Source: VNA)
