ADB-funded project to help Vietnam increase health professionals
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved an 80-million-USD loan to help Vietnam increase the number of health professionals, the ADB announced on December 13.
Hanoi (VNA) – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved an 80-million-USD loan tohelp Vietnam increase the number of health professionals, the ADB announced onDecember 13.
The funding willbe used to build and equip new campuses of the Hanoi Medical University and theUniversity of Medicine and Pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City, increasing annualundergraduate enrollment capacity by 2,200 and producing 1,863 additionalhealth professional graduates from 2032.
The Second Health Human ResourcesDevelopment Project will further improve the quality of health professionaltraining at each university.
A 3-million-USD grant from the JapanFund for Poverty Reduction, financed by the Government of Japan and to beadministered by ADB, will support updating of training programmes to ensuregraduates are better skilled to address community health needs, particularly indisadvantaged settings.
The quality of medical staff inremote health facilities will also be enhanced through the delivery ofcontinuing medical education programmes using innovative distance learningtechnologies.
“The project will help Vietnamachieve its universal health coverage targets by upgrading infrastructure andboosting enrollment at two leading health education institutions,” said ADBSenior Health Specialist Gerard Servais.
The project’s focus on disadvantagedcommunities will help the country address the health care needs of those livingin poor and remote areas, he added.
Vietnam faces a shortage of skilledhealth professionals, including an estimated 43,250 doctors, 249,416 nurses,and 22,199 pharmacists by 2030.
The project seeks to address majorobstacles – limited physical space and outdated programs at Vietnam’s healtheducation and professional training institutions which restrict the increase instudent enrollment and subsequently the number of qualified graduates. –VNA
About 3 million young Vietnamese are affected by mental and psychological problems but only 20 percent of them receive medical treatment, while the rest resort to alcohol, tobacco, and drug, said a doctor in Ho Chi Minh City.
According to a report from the Vietnam Social Security (VSS), as of October 31, 2018, the number of health insurance card holders in the country reached 82.33 million or 87.62 percent of the population.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved 100.6 million USD in financing to support the Vietnamese Government’s reform effort to improve health service delivery and the quality of health care providers, especially in poor, border areas.
In an attempt to improve health for local residents, more than 400,000 household toilets and more than 235,000 water supply works have been set up in a total of 21 mountainous provinces of northern, Central Highlands and south-central regions in the past two years.
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 photo. (Source: VNA)
