Vietnam free of Zika cases, prevention efforts continue
Vietnam is currently free of Zika virus cases, but preventative measures are ongoing to prevent possible outbreaks in the future, the Department of Preventive Medicine said on April 26.
Posters with Zika prevention information are posted at a school (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA)🅠 – Vietnam is currently free of Zika virus cases, but preventative measures are ongoing to prevent possible outbreaks in the future, the Department of Preventive Medicine said on April 26.
The department said it is intensifying Zika testing and anti-Zika activities. It will also update information on the disease and publish Ministry of Health recommendations on the department’s website and media outlets.
The Zika outbreak at the communal level in the central province of Khanh Hoa ended on April 20, the provincial People’s Committee announced on April 22.
The HCM City administration also declared the end of its Zika outbreak at the same level on April 22.
A 64-year-old woman residing in Phuoc Hoa ward of Nha Trang city, Khanh Hoa, contracted the virus through mosquito bites and began to show signs of fever on March 26.
The Zika patient in HCM City resided in Thanh My Loi ward in District 2. The pregnant woman, 33, was hospitalised on March 29.
According to health ministry regulations, a Zika outbreak is declared over when there are no further cases within 24 days of the last patient started showing Zika symptoms.-VNA
Hanoi’s Health Department held a meeting on March 31 to mobilise all available resources as precautions for a Zika outbreak, after the Ministry of Health raised the Zika virus emergency level to 2.
The Ministry of Health on April 6 issued a temporary manual guiding pregnant women on how to take care of themselves amid the circulation of the Zika virus, which has been linked to microcephaly.
Twenty-six out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide have thus far implemented an anti-mosquito campaign within households in an effort to prevent dengue fever and Zika virus.
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.
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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.
Posters with Zika prevention information are posted at a school (Photo: VNA)
