Vietnam proactive in preventing animal disease spread
Vietnam has been proactive in taking measures and implementing programmes to prevent the spread of animal diseases to humans, an international conference heard.
Biosecurity measures are taken for a cow herd to prevent disease outbreaks. Photo: VNA
Vietnam has been proactive in taking measures and implementing programmes to prevent the spread of animal diseases to humans, an international conference heard.
The two-day conference on preventing the spread of animal diseases to humans was opened in Hanoi on August 25 by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health (MoH) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the Indonesian Ministry of Health.
The conference showed Vietnam’s active role as the pioneering country in effort to prevent the spread of animal diseases to humans, especially newly-emerged dangerous diseases under the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA).
The conference aims to raise awareness and share experience in preventing the transmission of animal diseases to humans and priority activities between countries in the region and the world to achieve the goal of the five-year plan “the action package to prevent the spread of diseases from animals to humans.”
Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long affirmed that Vietnam and Indonesia committed to actively implementing the action package to contribute to the global effort in putting a stop to the spread of animal diseases to humans.
Over the past years, Vietnam has implemented many activities to improve capability of the health and agriculture sectors to early spot and quickly respond to diseases from animals to humans, and increase the inter-sector, regional and international cooperation.
The Prime Minister established a national inter-sector steering committee to implement programmes preventing epidemics, focusing on avian influenza and flu epidemic on humans. The cooperation between the MoH and MARD on the issue has been deepened.
A public health emergency operations centre (EOC) opened in Vietnam in 2013 with the participation of the MoH, MARD, and international organisations (WHO, FAO and USCDC) to coordinate and respond to new diseases, most of which come from animals.
As the pioneering country in ASEAN, Vietnam worked with other member countries to create a strategy for removal of rabies.
ASEAN currently is creating an action plan to implement the strategy.
MARD Deputy Minister Vu Van Tam appreciated close, comprehensive and transparent cooperation with the World Organisation for Animal Health and FAO.
Vietnam also had extensive cooperation with WHO and the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.-VNA
The World Bank’s Board of Governors approved additional funding of 45 million USD through the project ‘Improving the competitive capability and food safety’ in Vietnam on June 27.
The first national conference on epilepsy was held in Ho Chi Minh City on August 15 to discuss the treatment of the disease in Vietnam and other related issues.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) inked a Memorandum of Understanding on livestock research in Hanoi on August 17.
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.
Biosecurity measures are taken for a cow herd to prevent disease outbreaks. Photo: VNA
