Vaccine diplomacy set to be active, cooperative, innovative, effective
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son chaired the first meeting of the Government’s freshly established working group on COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy in Hanoi on August 16.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son speaks at the meeting (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son chaired the firstmeeting of the Government’s freshly established working group on COVID-19 vaccinediplomacy in Hanoi on August 16.
Themeeting reviewed outcomes of the work so far and agreed on coordinationmeasures to further promote vaccine diplomacy for access to the biggest numbers of vaccines, treatment drugs andmedical supplies in the shortest of time.
Participantsagreed to accelerate all related efforts and intensify cooperation amongministries and sectors toward the work via bilateral and multilateral channels.
Concludingthe function, Son, also head of the working group, said Vietnam’s vaccine diplomacy hasso far obtained positive outcomes.
It is set to be active, cooperative, innovative, and effective, heaffirmed, presenting a number of orientations and solutions to be implementedright after the meeting so that as many as vaccines as possible will arrive inAugust and September.
Themobilisation of vaccines, treatment drugs and medical supplies for COVID-19prevention and control should be prioritised across all external activities byleaders of the Party, State, National Assembly, ministries, and agencies untilthe end of the year, Son stressed.
Hesaid the work must be the top priority of all Vietnamese representativeagencies overseas./.
Vietnam is set to receive COVID-19 vaccine donations from the governments of the UK and the Czech Republic, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has announced.
Pushing ahead with vaccine diplomacy is among the tasks Vietnam’s overseas representative bodies have been asked to perform so as to help achieve the “twin targets” in the last half of 2021.
A government working group on COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, has been set up under a decision signed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan has said his ministry supports the expansion of areas eligible for the third phase of clinical trials of Nanocovax, a product of Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC based on recombinant DNA/protein technology.
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 Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son speaks at the meeting (Photo: VNA) 
