The Ministry of Health is coordinating closely with relevant sectors to keep tourists from Zika virus-affected countries under strict monitoring, aiming to prevent the virus from entering Vietnam.
Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Health is coordinating closely with relevant sectors to keep tourists from Zika virus-affected countries under strict monitoring, aiming to prevent the virus from ente🉐ring Vietnam, reported an online conference in Hanoi on February 2.
The health sector was asked to enhance monitoring work and arrange body temperature scanners at airports and border areas, particularly for passengers returning from Zika virus- hit areas.
The ministry is also building a set of instructions for observation and outlining measures to contain diseases that may be caused by the virus, which is transmitted to humans through the ‘Aedes mosquito” - the main carrier of dengue fever also.
Blood testing will be done for those suspected of carrying Zika virus, helping gather a list of high-risk groups, facilitating management and monitoring for them.
The ministry said it has instructed health care facilities at all levels to prepare well for quarantine and treatment work, while promoting publicity campaigns in a bid to enhance precautionary measures against the virus.
There is a high risk that the virus may enter and spread through the country due to trade and tourism connections with many Zika -hit nations, according to the ministry.
People are advised to reduce traveling to Zika- struck countries, and use mosquito chemical repellent and securely cover all containers of water - to prevent mosquitoes from entering them and laying eggs.
The Ministry of Health is working closely with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to keep close watch on the spread of the disease.
According to the Department of Preventive Medicine under the ministry, the WHO has recorded the most number of Zika virus cases in the Americas and Africa.
Zika virus, first detected in Uganda’s Zika forest in 1947, causes mild fever, rash, muscle pain, joint pain, headache, pain behind the eyes and conjunctivitis. There is currently no cure for Zika virus, and no vaccine for it.
Vietnam has no case of Zika fever so far, but there is a high risk that the virus may enter and spread in the country, as it has been recorded in several other Southeast Asian nations.
No cases of Zika fever have been reported in Vietnam so far, but there is a high risk that the virus may enter the country due to the presence of Aedes mosquitos which transmit the virus, and trade, t
The Ministry of Health urged the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) to strengthen its monitoring and detection of suspects infected with Zika virus at a meeting on January 29.
The Centre for International Health Quarantine of Ho Chi Minh City is carrying out various measures to prevent Zika virus from entering the country and to contain it in case the disease does occur.
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.
Illustrative Image (AFP/VNA)
