A patient washes his leg, which is swollen from lymphedema caused by lymphatic filariasis.— Photo RTI International
Hanoi (VNA) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announcedthat Vietnam has eliminated lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem.
According to the WHO, lymphatic filariasis is an infection transmitted tohumans by mosquitoes.
The painful and profoundly disfiguring visible manifestations of the disease –lymphoedema, elephantiasis and scrotal swelling – occur later in life and canlead to permanent disability.
Patients are not only physically disabled but also suffer mental, social andfinancial losses contributing to stigmatisation and poverty.
WHO said elimination of lymphatic filariasis is possible by stopping the spreadof infection through large-scale treatment (called mass drug administration)delivered in annual doses to all at-risk individuals in endemic areas.
The medicines have a limited effect on adult parasites but effectively reducethe density of microfilariae in the bloodstream and thus prevent the spread ofparasites to mosquitoes.
The WHO also said that in Vietnam, references to the disease go back more thana century. The prevalence of infection gradually declined in many areas throughenvironmental changes, improvements in housing, increased use of bed nets andselective treatment.
Annual mass treatment campaigns between 2002 and 2008 stopped transmission inremaining endemic areas, and surveillance has continued. Last year, the countryestablished a pioneering new training programme to ensure sustained care forpeople with complications from lymphatic filariasis.
Besides Vietnam, Palau, and Wallis and Futuna have eliminated lymphaticfilariasis.
Since the WHO launched the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasisin 2000, a total of 11 countries and areas in the Western Pacific Region havebeen recognised for eliminating lymphatic filariasis as a public healthproblem: Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Niue, the Marshall Islands, Palau, theRepublic of Korea, Tonga, Vanuatu, Vietnam, and Wallis and Futuna. – VNA
The Health Ministry’s Department of Preventive Medicine on August 1 warned citizens to apply drastic measures to prevent dengue fever spreading, after a person reportedly died of the disease in Ho Chi Minh recently.
Citizens of Hoang Van Thu commune of Hanoi’s outlying district of Chuong My were provided with free health check-ups and medicine on August 16, as the area had been submerged by floodwater for three weeks.
A training workshop was organised for medical workers in the northern province of Ha Nam, about 50km south of Hanoi, on August 17 to improve their skills and capacity to deliver effective dengue prevention at all levels.
Hanoi has reported 955 cases of dengue fever in 261 communes, wards and towns across its 30 districts from the outset of the year, a year-on-year decrease of 96.8 percent.
Hanoi has continued to apply measures to prevent and control the spread of common diseases, especially dengue fever which is currently in its peak season.
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.
A patient washes his leg, which is swollen from lymphedema caused by lymphatic filariasis.— Photo RTI International 
