WHO called to help Vietnam improve public health care
Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Tong Thi Phong has proposed the World Health Organisation (WHO) closely work with the Vietnamese Government in curbing diseases and increasing quality of public health care.
Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Tong Thi Phong (R) receives WHO Director-General Margaret Chan (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Vice Chairwoman of theNational Assembly Tong Thi Phong has proposed the World Health Organisation(WHO) closely work with the Vietnamese Government in curbing diseases andincreasing quality of public health care.
She made the proposal at a reception for WHODirector-General Margaret Chan in Hanoi on April 10.
The legislator hoped the WHO will continueproviding and updating health information in Vietnam as well as in the regionand beyond, while supporting the country in improving capacity for healthworkers, especially at the grassroots level.
She noted that the active assistance andcooperation of the WHO over the past few years have helped Vietnam gain significantaccomplishments in improving public health care and realising the UN millenniumdevelopment goals.
Vietnam is particularly interested in developinghealth care network at the grassroots level, especially in disadvantaged andborder areas, she said.
The Vietnamese legislature has promulgated a numberof legal documents such as law on public health protection, law on HIV/AIDSprevention and law on communicable disease prevention, creating an effectivelegal corridor for public health care activities, she added.
The National Assembly has closely monitored theimplementation of health policies of the Government, Health Ministry andrelevant agencies to better public medical care in ethnic minority regions.
Phong also thanked the WHO for providing financialaid for Vietnam’s health sector and affirmed this source has been usedeffectively in the country.
For her part, Director-General Margaret Chanrecognised the crucial role of the Vietnamese NA in building and promulgatingimportant laws to reform the medical system.
She said the WHO is willing to help and share globalexperience with Vietnam in the field.
The Director-General suggested the VietnameseGovernment push ahead with improving public health care and medical stations atdistrict and commune levels, including training family doctors.
She also recommended building regulations on theoperation of private health facilities under the management of the State.-VNA
A Vietnamese delegation led by Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien attended the 140th meeting of the Executive Board of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland from January 23-25.
The Ministry of Health has warned of the possible intrusion of avian influenza A (H7N9) into Vietnam as the virus is raging in neighbouring China and Cambodia.
A survey has found around 70 percent of medical staff took excessive precautionary measures while offering check-ups to HIV patients for fear of infection.
Director-General of the WHO Margaret Chan suggested that Vietnam should pay more attention to working together with WHO in preventive medicine to prevent diseases and accidents.
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.
Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Tong Thi Phong (R) receives WHO Director-General Margaret Chan (Photo: VNA)
