A delegation of the Ministry of Health led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong is attending the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA77) which is taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 28 to June 1.
Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong speaking at 77th World Health Assembly (Photo: VNA)
Geneva (VNA) – A delegation of the Ministry of Health led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Lien Huong is attending the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA77) which is taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 28 to June 1.
Huong told the Vietnam News Agency’s reporters in Geneva on the sidelines of the session that the COVID-19 pandemic shows that many countries have yet to make good preparedness for a global-scale epidemic, and warned that another epidemic would happen at any time, requiring all countries to strengthen their capacity and readiness for it.
Countries also need to cooperate and act together to best respond to and minimise global health security threats, and respond quickly and effectively to all possible health risks, Huong suggested.
She pointed to several challenges to public health care, including climate change, the illness and mortality burden by non-communicable diseases, inequal access to health services, and the risk of re-emergence of infectious diseases, especially those that can be prevented by vaccines.
Within the WHA77 framework, countries will consider adopting the Pandemic Treaty and Amendments to International Health Regulations (IHR), whose contents include provisions on enhancing cooperation and information sharing, and promoting the access to production technology and disease prevention products. Once these documents are approved, this will be a breakthrough for the global health system in preventing and responding to epidemics and medical emergencies.
Ambassador Mai Phan Dung, Pe🔜rmanent Representative of Vietnam to the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and other international organisations in Geneva, said that these documents will be a great opportunity for countries around the world, especially developing countries like Vietnam, to access medical services, equipment, vaccines and biological products, thereby helping create a major breakthrough in more effectively preventing future pandemics, and saving more lives, towards a healthy and equal world./.
Vietnam has established itself as one of the leading countries in the fight against emerging diseases in the context of a number of dangerous and fast-spreading epidemics in the world over the past years like COVID-19 and earlier, SARS or MERS-CoV.
Hundreds of thousands of people will be screened for cardiovascular and chronic kidney diseases through AI platforms this year, and over 20,000 patients will be advised to undergo testing to assess chronic kidney disease.
Vietnam has successfully curbed many dangerous diseases such as smallpox, polio, plague, SARS, and COVID-19, and is one of only a few countries with a complete and broadly-organised healthcare network accessible to hamlets and villages.
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.
