As many as 2,000 primary teachers and pupils in Hanoi joined officials and delegates from international organisations at a meeting held in the city on October 15 in response to Global Handwashing Day.
Pupils wash their hands with soap at the meeting in Hanoi to mark Global Handwashing Day on October 15 (Photo: hanoimoi)
Hanoi (VNA) – As many as 2,000 primary teachers and pupils in Hanoi joinedofficials and delegates from international organisations at a meeting held inthe city on October 15 in response to Global Handwashing Day.
Speaking at theevent, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said washinghands with soap is a simple action but the rate of frequent hand-washing withsoap remains low in Vietnam, even at medical establishments.
Long stressed thatit is an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases such ashand-foot-mouth disease, diarrhea and typhoid fever, particularly among pupils.
The officialcalled on sectors, administrations at all levels, organisations and mediaagencies to join hands with the health sector in promoting communicationcampaigns in different forms to raise public awareness of the importance ofhand-washing.
At the meeting,the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and Training and the UnileverVietnam Fund pledged to jointly carry out programmes on improving public healthand developing green, clean and strong schools in Vietnam for 2017-2022.
All participantswashed their hands with soap at the meeting.
Since 2008,Vietnam has actively responded to Global Handwashing Day through variouscommunication campaigns.
Diarrhea, whichis caused by poor sanitation and clean water shortage, was ranked second among commondiseases in Vietnam. However, many locals are yet to form the habit of regularhand-washing with soap.-VNA
Washing hands regularly can help prevent virus-based diseases, which have become more prevalent worldwide, heard a seminar on May 19 in Ho Chi Minh City.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) on May 15 launched a public communications campaign in order to encourage people to wash their hands more frequently as a way of minimising risk of catching diseases.
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.
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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.
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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.
Pupils wash their hands with soap at the meeting in Hanoi to mark Global Handwashing Day on October 15 (Photo: hanoimoi) 
