Community urged to join efforts to eliminate TB by 2030
A national teleconference in Hanoi on March 24 called on the public to work harder to turn the peril of the COVID-19 pandemic into an opportunity for Vietnam for eradicating tuberculosis (TB) by 2030.
A doctor gives check-up to a TB patient (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – A national teleconference in Hanoi onMarch 24 called on the public to work harder to turn the peril of the COVID-19pandemic into an opportunity for Vietnam for eradicating tuberculosis (TB) by2030.
The event, held in response to the World TB Day(March 24), was attended by representatives of ministries, sectors, domesticand international organisations and all the 63 central-level localities.
Director of the National Lung Hospital NguyenViet Nhung, who also chairs the national anti-TB programme, said this year’sactivity appeals to all people who have engaged in the COVID-19 fight to joinhands more actively in the TB prevention and control.
He stressed TB is a “silent killer”, noting thatTB bacteria transmits more easily than SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causesCOVID-19, since with the size of less than 5 micrometres, it can spread by airand adapt to harsh environmental conditions in a long period of time.
The number of TB fatalities each year is evenmuch higher than those caused by traffic accidents, he said, noting that mostof the TB deaths are the result of late detection and treatment.
Communications activities should also bepromoted so that the public understand that TB is not as frightening as theythought, he added.
In Vietnam, more than 100,000 TB patients arediagnosed and sent for treatment annually.
The recovery rate is more than 90 percent of newpatients, 75 percent of multidrug-resistant TB patients using long-termtreatment regimens, and 80 percent of multidrug-resistant TB patients usingshort-term treatment regimens.
New technologies, drugs and treatment approachesfrom around the world have been applied in Vietnam and proved highly effective,even for multidrug-resistant TB and super extensively multidrug-resistant TBpatients. Those who are diagnosed with TB will receive free drugs, according tothe expert.
Around the world, TB is the second leading causeof death among infectious diseases with 10 million new patients and nearly 1.5million deaths annually.
Vietnam is still among the 30 countries with thehighest prevalence of TB and multidrug-resistant TB in the world./.
Delegates at a conference in Hanoi on August 15 discussed measures to complete tuberculosis (TB) treatment facilities in 15 provinces that have yet to build special hospitals for this disease.
Detecting tuberculosis (TB) cases at an early date requires efforts of not only the health sector but also the entire community, heard a meeting of the National Steering Committee for TB Prevention and Control in Hanoi on March 9.
A lung expert has called for more active public participation in tuberculosis (TB) prevention and control to eradicate the disease from Vietnam by 2030.
Vietnam is facing an uphill battle to control tuberculosis (TB), with about 174,000 people in the country contracting the disease each year and 13,000 fatalities.
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.
A doctor gives check-up to a TB patient (Photo: VNA) 
