Vietnamese scientists will test the effectiveness and safety of using HIV/AIDS medication to treat those infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Vietnamese scientists are studying treatment for COVID-19 infected patients (Photo: vietnamnet.vn)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Vietnamese scientists willtest the effectiveness and safety of using HIV/AIDS medication to treat thoseinfected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
The scientific project approved earlier this week by Minister of Science and Technology Chu NgocAnh under the recommendation of the Ministry of Health will test the drugslopinavir and ritonavir.
The project will be carried out by the National Hospital ofTropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City’s Hospital of Tropical Diseases, HCM CityPasteur Institute, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, and thePharmacovigilance Centre.
Lopinavir and ritonavir are antiretroviral drugs used asmedication to treat HIV/AIDS.
The scientists will evaluate the clinical and sub-clinicaleffectiveness, virological response and safety of lopinavir and ritonavircombination treatment for COVID-19 infected patients based on the HealthMinistry’s background treatment regimen.
The evaluation would be completed within 12 months.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Science and Technologyalso approved a list of three urgent tasks for preventing the coronavirus fromspreading.
The tasks included manufacturing three kinds of test kits ofclassifying and diagnosing COVID-19 infections within a month.
The Military Medical University and Viet A Technology StockCompany were assigned to study and manufacture test kits to detect the virus.
Researching and producing a rapid detection system to screenfor COVID-19 was carried out by Phu Sa Biochemistry Company, HCM City’s PasteurInstitute, and Can Tho city’s Scientific and Technological Application Centre.
The HCM City’s Pasteur Institute was designated to studyepidemiological and clinical characteristics of the COVID-19 caused acuterespiratory infections in Vietnam./.
Three patients from the northern province of Vinh Phuc infected with the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) have recovered and were discharged from the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases (NHTD) in Hanoi on February 10.
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on February 12 said supervision and quarantine work is the most important work at present to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
The Health Ministry reported on February 13 that it has sent materials and a permanent working team to the northern province of Vinh Phuc to help with the fight against the acute respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus (COVID-19).
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.
Vietnamese scientists are studying treatment for COVID-19 infected patients (Photo: vietnamnet.vn) 
