A doctor takes care for a leprosy patient (Source: VNA)
With a prevalence rate of 0.2 per 100,000 as of June end, HCM City has eliminated leprosy, the Ministry of Health has certified.
The detection rate reduced from 3.21 per 100,000 in 2000 to 0.1 per 100.000 this year, according to a report by the city Hospital of Dermato-Venerelogy, which treats patients with leprosy in the city and southern provinces.
In the first six months there were just nine new cases. Since 2013 no child has been diagnosed with the disease.
The rate of second degree disability, or severe loss of work capacity, among new patients also dropped to 11.11 percent in the first six months from 18.8 percent in 2000.
Although the number of new cases has reduced, the number with disabilities caused by the disease remains high, with most people aged below 50, Dr Vu Hong Thai, the hospital head, said.
It is very important to strengthen rehabilitation for these people, and disability prevention for patients with the disease should be given priority, he said.
The hospital treated 148 leprosy patients with disabilities from the city and the southern provinces in the first six months.
In the city, hospital technicians and district health officials visit the houses of such patients to provide guidance on caring for themselves and rehabilitation.
The hospital also provides free shoes to patients with disabilities in legs.
But Thai cautioned that the fight against leprosy should not be stopped in the city despite the elimination of the disease and should continue.
The city aims to be free of the disease by 2020, he said.
"With many industrial parks attracting large numbers of immigrants, the city has difficulty detecting new cases. Communication about the disease should be enhanced, especially in areas with many immigrants."
In the country, 18 provinces including Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Binh Duong 🦂and Ba Ria-Vung Tau are recognised as having eliminated leprosy.-VNA
The central region, particularly the Central Highlands, is facing big challenges in further reduce the incidence of leprosy, a conference heard on June 13.
All provinces and cities are expected to achieve key indicators related to leprosy elimination by 2015, according to the agency that provides technical guidance to hospitals for the national leprosy prevention programme.
Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Xuyen has urged the five remaining localities where leprosy still exists to carry out more drastic measures towards a Vietnam free from leprosy-related issues by the end of 2015.
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.
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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.
A doctor takes care for a leprosy patient (Source: VNA)
