Dak Lak (VNA) – A baby born with suspected microcephaly has🦹 been reported in Krong Buk district in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, according to the Health Ministry’s Department of Preventive Medicine.
The blood sample of the four-month-old baby has been sent to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) which will coordinate with Japan’s Nagasaki University to conduct Zika virus testing.
After hearing the news, the Health Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) on October 17 organised a meeting with the participation of relevant international units and organisations.
Diseases linked to Zika virus have circulated in Vietnam, especially in areas where mosquitoes spreading dengue and Zika have been found, heard the meeting.
Cases of baby born with Zika-related microcephaly may be found in Vietnam as risk of microcephaly is about 1-10 percent of infants born to mothers who become infected with the virus during their first trimester of pregnancy, the participants said.
The Health Ministry has instructed the Department of Preventive Medicine to team up with the Maternal and Child Health Department, the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the National Hospital of Paediatrics, the NIHE and the NIHE’s office in the Central Highlands to establish a working group to study the case.
To prevent the spread of Zika virus, especially among pregnant women and infants, the Health Ministry advised pregnant women not to travel to areas with ongoing Zika outbreaks.
The pregnant women, particularly in their first trimester of pregnancy, who have travelled to or are living in Zika-hit areas, and are now experiencing fever or rash, and one of the symptoms of muscle pain and conjunctivitis should go to health centres to get medical advice and check-ups, it said.
The Zika virus has been detected in 73 countries and territories worldwide. On October 11, the World Health Organisation said there is a high risk of Zika virus spreading through Asia.
The virus has been circulated in seven out of ten Southeast Asian nations. As of October 17, seven cases of Zika infection were confirmed in the central provinces of Khanh Hoa and Phu Yen, Binh Duong province and Ho Chi Minh City in the south.
Zika is mainly transmitted through the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which also carries dengue fever. The virus causes only mild symptoms in most, including fever, sore eyes and a rash. But pregnant women infected with the virus risk giving birth to babies with microcephaly -- a deformation that leads to abnormally small brains and heads.
Currently there is no vaccine or specific medicine to treat the disease.
Brazil is worst affected by Zika virus with about 1.5 million patients.-VNA
The Ministry of Health has instructed the Binh Duong provincial Health Department to keep a close watch on suspected Zika virus inspections after a Zika case was detected in the southern province.
There is a high risk of Zika virus spreading through Asia-Pacific as hundreds of cases have been reported in Singapore and Thailand, with two babies diagnosed with Zika-linked microcephaly.
The Philippine Health Ministry on October 14 reported two new cases of Zika virus infection, bringing the country’s total number of Zika virus infections to 17 this year.
The Preventative Health Department under the Ministry of Health has confirmed two more cases inflected with Zika virus in HCM City, raising the total number of infections in the country to seven.
Despite storm-related disruptions and flight delays, the organs were successfully transported via a combination of air and ground travel. All patients are currently stable and recovering well.
The patient, Tieu Viet But, born in 1970 and residing in Binh Tri commune, Binh Son district, the central province of Quang Ngai, was working aboard fishing vessel Qng – 95657TS when the incident occurred at 7:00 am.
All drugs entering hospitals must have a clear origin, so counterfeit drugs are only in the market, not in hospital, affirmed Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan.
To achieve its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2045, Vietnam is prioritising the integration of AI and digital tools into the training of future doctors, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Nhung, Dean of Medicine at University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University (VNU) Hanoi.
Health experts called for collective disease prevention and integrated solutions to achieve zero dengue deaths in the country at an online talk show on June 14.
The PM called for closer, broader, and more effective cooperation with Vietnamese partners, guided by the principles of mutual benefit, joint efforts, shared outcomes, and common development, including promoting stronger public-private partnerships and collaboration with businesses.
Renowned for its expertise in complex surgeries, the hospital has attracted foreign patients seeking treatment for conditions such as kidney and urinary tract stones, urological and gastrointestinal cancers, and male reproductive disorders. Most procedures are performed using advanced techniques, including laparoscopy and robotic surgery. T
Leading Vietnamese companies specialising in respiratory and dermatological treatments, traditional medicine, immune support supplements, and functional foods will have an opportunity to connect with international distributors and secure export deals.
The project aimed to enable early detection and reduce the risk of dangerous complications, targeting patients with chronic diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and metabolic disorders.
A 2023 report by the Vietnam Health Economics Association estimated that the total cost of tobacco-related healthcare and economic losses reached 108 trillion VND (4.14 billion USD) annually – equivalent to 1.14% of GDP and five times higher than the budget revenue generated by the tobacco industry.
All eligible patients will receive surgical interventions and post-operative care in accordance with Vietnamese medical standards and global care protocols.
Medical screenings and surgical interventions for children with disabilities are being carried out at health centers across Dien Bien. So far this year, 242 children have been identified for diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and the provision of assistive devices.
The Red Journey has become the country’s largest and most effective blood donation campaign, leaving a strong impression on the national voluntary blood donation movement.
This case marks the ninth fetal cardiac intervention conducted in HCM City, and it was considered the most technically demanding to date due to the fetus’s extremely early gestational age and the severity of the condition as diagnosed with aortic atresia.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place one day after the VNVC Vaccine JS Company and Sanofi Group exchanged cooperation documents on vaccine production technology transfer under the witness of State President Luong Cuong and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Vietnam’s traditional medicine took centre stage at the International Congress Biopharm Nonclinical Development, BioNCiD 2025, held on May 25-26 in the Cuban city of Varadero, amid growing global interest in sustainable healthcare solutions.
Under the agreement, VNVC and Sanofi will gradually implement technology transfers to enable domestic production of several key Sanofi vaccines that are widely used in Vietnam. In addition, Sanofi will support VNVC in training human resources and quality management in vaccine research and manufacturing.
Despite the ongoing global circulation and unpredictable developments of SARS-CoV-2, the World Health Organisation (WHO) hasn’t issued new warnings about COVID-19, said the Ministry of Health.
The October 17 meeting (Source: VNA) 
