Animal health officials gives rabies shots to dogs (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – A meeting was held in Hanoi onSeptember 25 to respond to World Rabies Day 2019, which falls on September 28.
Addressing the event, Assistant Prof. Dr. Hoang Duc Hanh, ViceDirector of the Hanoi Department of Health, cited the World HealthOrganisation’s report that the fatal disease kills 50,000-70,000 people eachyear, and forces more than 10 million people to get vaccinations.
In Vietnam, the disease has persisted for decades, with highfatality at about 100 cases per year, he noted, stressing the need to vaccinatemore cats and dogs, enhance communications among the community on the danger ofthe disease, and encourage people to get vaccines.
Over the years, Vietnam hasbeen making efforts to control rabies and seen a decrease in the number ofdeaths from rabies from 2015 – 2017. However, the number of fatalitiesincreased last year, rising to 103 from 74 in 2017, he noted.
In the first half of 2019, the country reported46 deaths from rabies in 24 cities and provinces with Son La recoding sixcases, the highest number.
Hanoi has not recorded anydeaths from the disease so far this year.
According to the National Instituteof Hygiene and Epidemiology,rabies is the main cause of most deaths from infectious diseases in Vietnam.About half a million people get vaccinated as a preventive measure from rabiesbut in reality, the number of people bitten by animals is much higher.
The institute emphasised that vaccination isthe only way to prevent human mortality from rabies./.
The Drug Administration under the Ministry of Health has asked rabies vaccine suppliers and importers to ensure stockpiles are built up to meet increasing demand.
Disease prevention and control is the main duty of the health sector this year, thus the sector will actively conduct preventive measures and provide vaccinations in high-risk areas.
The Annual One Health Forum 2019 took place in Hanoi on June 12, highlighting Vietnam’s efforts to prevent and control diseases transmitted from animals to humans.
Northern Vietnam remains the region with the highest number of death from rabies, accounting for 80 percent of the country’s mortality, deputy director of the Health Ministry’s Department of Preventive Medicine Dang Quang Tan told a meeting in Hanoi on August 6.
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.
Animal health officials gives rabies shots to dogs (Photo: VNA) 
