Da Nang (VNA) – The ninth International Congress of the Asia-PacificSociety of Infection Control (APSIC) opened in the central city of Da Nang onMarch 20.
The three-day event,the first one held in Vietnam, attracts the participation of 1,500 delegateswho are experts, doctors and researchers in infection control from 31 nationsover the world.
The biennial congress aimsto create a forum for participants to discuss and get updates on this field.
At this year’s event,delegates are expected to exchange opinions on 117 scientific reports with thefocus on infection at hospitals, infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance,environmental sanitation, and infection prevention measures.
Speaking at thecongress, Director of the Health Ministry’s Medical Examination and TreatmentDepartment Luong Ngoc Khue stated that safety for patients and infectioncontrol at health clinics are among top priorities of countries, includingVietnam.
However, this is alsoa big challenge amid outbreaks of new diseases as well as familiar ones, andthe spreading of multidrug and antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Over the past years,the Vietnamese Health Ministry has carried out a lot of policies and actionprogrammes to intensify infection control at hospitals, and gained someachievements such as building an infection control system from the HealthMinistry to health clinics and controlling many diseases likes SARS, avian fluA/H1N1 and measles, he added.-VNA
The Ministry of Health (MoH) organised a workshop in Hanoi on January 8 to launch a national action plan on the eradication of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis in the 2018-2030.
The National Lung Hospital, the National Programme against Tuberculosis (TB) and the Patients Support Foundation to End Tuberculosis (PASTB) and the National Humanitarian Portal 1400 have launched a text message campaign to support TB patients.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) have sent a delegation of experts to Vietnam to assess the situation of African swine fever (ASF) in the country.
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.
An overview of the congress (Source: VGP) 
