Expert: Zika virus disease still sees complicated developments
Although the number of Zika virus infection cases have dropped, the disease could break out on a large scale if no preventive plan was implemented since the beginning of the year, said a health expert.
Health staff sprays mosquito killer chemical in Distrct 3, Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA)
Ho Chi Minh City (VNA) – Although the number of Zika virusinfection cases have dropped, the disease could break out on a large scale ifno preventive plan was implemented since the beginning of the year, said ahealth expert.
Associate Prof. Dr. Phan Trong Lan, Director of the Pasteur Institute inHo Chi Minh City, gave the warning at a conference held in the city on February16 to launch this year’s disease prevention tasks in the southern region.
Lan said Zika virus spreads rapidly via Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and is difficultto detect due to mild symptoms. Meanwhile the southern region sees strong humanflows in both arrivals and departures.
In 2016, Vietnam detected 227 Zika virus infection cases, of which 207are residents of Ho Chi Minh City.
Therefore, the expert warned that the number of Zika-infected casesacross the region would increase, and recommended each province set up at leasttwo Zika monitoring centres.
Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long requested southern provincesand cities to keep a close watch on Zika-related disease and dengue fever and takepreventative measures from now on to prevent outbreaks.
He also asked the localities to be vigilant on diseases that are likelyto enter Vietnam, such as H7N9, Mers-CoV and Ebola.
Noninfectious diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers anddiabetes, are also big threats, Long said, adding that they are responsible for60 percent of the disease-related death toll nationwide.-VNA
The Ministry of Health will release 1 million to 1.4 million of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in four wards in Nha Trang city in an effort to reduce the number of incidences of dengue fever and Zika virus infections.
Communicable diseases from around the world could enter Vietnam and spread easily if the country does not improve prevention and control, said Tran Dac Phu, Director of the Ministry of Health’s Preventive Medicine Department.
Despite storm-related disruptions and flight delays, the organs were successfully transported via a combination of air and ground travel. All patients are currently stable and recovering well.
The patient, Tieu Viet But, born in 1970 and residing in Binh Tri commune, Binh Son district, the central province of Quang Ngai, was working aboard fishing vessel Qng – 95657TS when the incident occurred at 7:00 am.
All drugs entering hospitals must have a clear origin, so counterfeit drugs are only in the market, not in hospital, affirmed Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan.
To achieve its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2045, Vietnam is prioritising the integration of AI and digital tools into the training of future doctors, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Nhung, Dean of Medicine at University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University (VNU) Hanoi.
Health experts called for collective disease prevention and integrated solutions to achieve zero dengue deaths in the country at an online talk show on June 14.
The PM called for closer, broader, and more effective cooperation with Vietnamese partners, guided by the principles of mutual benefit, joint efforts, shared outcomes, and common development, including promoting stronger public-private partnerships and collaboration with businesses.
Renowned for its expertise in complex surgeries, the hospital has attracted foreign patients seeking treatment for conditions such as kidney and urinary tract stones, urological and gastrointestinal cancers, and male reproductive disorders. Most procedures are performed using advanced techniques, including laparoscopy and robotic surgery. T
Leading Vietnamese companies specialising in respiratory and dermatological treatments, traditional medicine, immune support supplements, and functional foods will have an opportunity to connect with international distributors and secure export deals.
The project aimed to enable early detection and reduce the risk of dangerous complications, targeting patients with chronic diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and metabolic disorders.
A 2023 report by the Vietnam Health Economics Association estimated that the total cost of tobacco-related healthcare and economic losses reached 108 trillion VND (4.14 billion USD) annually – equivalent to 1.14% of GDP and five times higher than the budget revenue generated by the tobacco industry.
All eligible patients will receive surgical interventions and post-operative care in accordance with Vietnamese medical standards and global care protocols.
Medical screenings and surgical interventions for children with disabilities are being carried out at health centers across Dien Bien. So far this year, 242 children have been identified for diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and the provision of assistive devices.
The Red Journey has become the country’s largest and most effective blood donation campaign, leaving a strong impression on the national voluntary blood donation movement.
This case marks the ninth fetal cardiac intervention conducted in HCM City, and it was considered the most technically demanding to date due to the fetus’s extremely early gestational age and the severity of the condition as diagnosed with aortic atresia.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place one day after the VNVC Vaccine JS Company and Sanofi Group exchanged cooperation documents on vaccine production technology transfer under the witness of State President Luong Cuong and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Vietnam’s traditional medicine took centre stage at the International Congress Biopharm Nonclinical Development, BioNCiD 2025, held on May 25-26 in the Cuban city of Varadero, amid growing global interest in sustainable healthcare solutions.
Under the agreement, VNVC and Sanofi will gradually implement technology transfers to enable domestic production of several key Sanofi vaccines that are widely used in Vietnam. In addition, Sanofi will support VNVC in training human resources and quality management in vaccine research and manufacturing.
Despite the ongoing global circulation and unpredictable developments of SARS-CoV-2, the World Health Organisation (WHO) hasn’t issued new warnings about COVID-19, said the Ministry of Health.
Health staff sprays mosquito killer chemical in Distrct 3, Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: VNA) 
