Some 40,000 deaths related to tobacco use each year
There are at least 40,000 deaths caused by tobacco-related diseases in Vietnam each year, heard a conference held by the Health Ministry in Hanoi on December 12 to review 10-year enforcement of the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harm.
Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan speaks at the event (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA)ಞ - There are at least 40,000 deaths caused by tobacco-relateddiseases in Vietnam each year, heard a conference held by the Health Ministry inHanoi on December 12 to review 10-year enforcement of the Law on Prevention andControl of Tobacco Harm.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan, who isalso Chairwoman of the Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control Fund,said Vietnamis the 47th out of 182 countries to ratify the World Health Organisation Framework Convention onTobacco Control. To validate the commitments upon joining the Convention, the VietnameseNational Assembly issued the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harm. She admitted that though the smoking rate has decreased, Vietnamremains among countries with a high prevalence of tobacco use, with38.9% of men aged over 15 being smokers. Exposure to tobacco smoke is still quitecommon in restaurants, bars, and crowded areas.
WHORepresentative in Vietnam Angela Pratt congratulatedVietnam on reducing the rate of tobacco use among adolescents by half, which she said is an encouraging result.
She suggested that Vietnam should increase tobacco taxes andprices. At the same time, the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) should banelectronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
ꦺ On the occasion, the ministry proposed thatthe Government and the NA continue to pay attention to and soon issue a resolutionprohibiting electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and other newtobacco products to reduce the tobacco use rate./.
Many experts have suggested establishing a legal framework to control new-generation tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco, and prohibit their use among students.
A delegation from Bloomberg Philanthropies and organisations joining the charity fund’s initiative to mitigate tobacco use visited Vietnam from October 9-12.
The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) and the Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control Fund under the Ministry of Health co-organised a conference in Hanoi on November 23 to promote the communications work in the fight against tobacco.
Laos plans to amend and supplement certain provisions of the law on drug prevention and control, with electronic cigarettes to be included in the list of substances and precursors classified as addictive.
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.
Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan speaks at the event (Photo: VNA) 
