Vietnam, South Africa step up military medicine ties in pandemic response
Vietnam is willing to share with South Africa its research and production of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 test kit so that the two nations could together overcome the pandemic that are plaguing 213 countries around the globe, said a Vietnamese official at a virtual discussion which gathered leaders and experts of the two nations’ military medical corps.
Pretoria (VNA) - Vietnam is willing to share with South Africaits research and production of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 test kit so that thetwo nations could together overcome the pandemic that are plaguing 213 countriesaround the globe, said a Vietnamese official at a virtual discussion whichgathered leaders and experts of the two nations’ military medical corps.
Speaking at the event, whichspotlighted pandemic response experience, Colonel Nguyen Van Giang, deputy headof the Ministry of Defence’s Military Medical Department, continued highlightingVietnam’s willingness to share its practical experience in COVID-19 prevention andcontrol.
He praised South Africa’sefforts in the fight against the pandemic. He noted 600,000 of the country’s700,000 COVID-19 patients have been recovered, saying the rate is encouraging.
Regarding Vietnam’s current situation, he informed that no community infections have beendetected in the past 43 consecutive days. Vietnam, however, stays vigilant as the pandemicdevelopments remain complicated worldwide, the official affirmed.
International researches andexchanges on response measures should be carried out frequently, Giangsuggested.
Major General N.P Maphaha, ChiefDirector of Military Health Force Preparation at the South African MilitaryService, lauded the organisation of the online meeting, saying it is anopportunity for top military medicine experts of the two nations to exchange knowledgeand expertise in combating COVID-19.
He spoke highly of Vietnam’s pandemicresponse capacity, including the nation’s successful production of a test kitthat is highly evaluated by the international medical community.
Maphaha said South Africaneeds to learn from Vietnam’s production experience, as the country still has torely on imported test kits.
At the function, Vietnamese and South Africanexperts exchanged views on a range of issues, including those on thedeployment of the medical corps, testingmethods and procedures, methods for virussources tracing and quarantine, and the monitoring of recovered patients, amongothers./.
Representatives from the Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam and South Africa’s Department of Trade and Industry met on June 25 to discuss ways to boost trade cooperation between the two countries.
A delegation from the Vietnam Social Security (VSS) had a working session with officials of health and social development of South Africa in Pretoria on July 23, seeking to enhance relations between the two countries in these fields.
Vietnam and South Africa agreed to maintain the defence policy dialogue which they consider as a strategic mechanism to promote the bilateral defence partnership and the two countries’ friendship and cooperation.
The Vietnam – South African joint trade sub-committee convened the fourth session in Hanoi on October 16 to seek ways to bolster bilateral economic and trade partnerships.
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.
At the event (Photo: VNA) 
