Health

Increase in drug-resistant TB in southwest

An increase in the number of resistant-TB cases has occurred in the southwestern region of Vietnam, according to the head of the region’s national TB prevention and control office.
Increase in drug-resistant TB in southwest ảnh 1Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

HCM City (VNA) - Anincrease in the number of resistant-TB cases has occurred in the southwesternregion of Vietnam, according to the head of the region’s national TB preventionand control office.

At a conference on TB prevention held last weekin Can Tho, Dr Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan said that nearly 1,300 patients withresistant TB were diagnosed every year in the southwestern region, accountingfor 25 percent of the total number of resistant-TB patients in the country.

The provinces of An Giang (220), Dong Thap (150)and Kien Giang (130) have the highest number of resistant-TB cases in thesouthwestern region, while Ca Mau, Vinh Long, Can Tho, Tien Giang and Ben Treprovinces face a shortage of medicine and chemicals as well as funds.

Between 2011 and 2015, the prevalence ofpatients with TB per 100,000 people in the region was 141, according to theMinistry of Health. The figure was 1.3 times higher than the national rate of112.

Nhan said besides the shortage of humanresources, staff in charge of TB prevention and control in the region hadreceived insufficient allowances (benefits beyond salary and bonuses).

Dr Nguyen Viet Nhung, head of the country’snational TB prevention and control programme, said that TB prevention should beconsidered the task of the entire community.

He said that more investment was needed for newtechnologies as well as medicine for treatment and prevention in order to reachthe target of TB elimination.

In the 2017-2020 project on active interventionin TB prevention in the southwestern region, the Can Tho TB and Lung DiseaseHospital is expected to become the leading specialised centre in the region.

The national TB programme aims to raise the rateof successful TB detection and treatment cases and reduce the number of resistant-TBcases from now to 2020.-VNA

VNA
#drug-resistant #TB #southwestern region #tuberculosis
Follow VietnamPlus

Related News

See more

Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Minh Tam extends greetings to leaders and staff of the Hanoi – Vientiane General Hospital on the occasion of the 71st anniversary of the Vietnamese Doctors’ Day on February 27. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese doctors in Laos help foster bilateral solidarity

Commending the Hanoi – Vientiane General Hospital’s 13-year development, Ambassador Nguyen Minh Tam noted that prioritising conscience and virtue has helped it build a strong reputation among Lao citizens, the Vietnamese community and international friends in Laos.

Organ transplantation at the University Medical Centre Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: the University Medical Centre Ho Chi Minh City)

Professional excellence, dedication define Vietnam’s healthcare system

When patients pull through from the brink of death, when their vital signs stabilise and transplanted hearts begin beating strongly in new bodies, the joy shared by the entire medical team is overwhelming. And when the country welcomes the New Year, saving lives takes on an even more profound significance — offering patients and their families a new spring of hope.

At Phu Rieng communal medical station in Dong Nai province (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam fosters maternal and child healthcare, advances toward 2035 goals

The under-five mortality rate in Vietnam in 2025 was estimated at below 16 per 1,000 live births, more than three times lower than the 1990 level. The infant mortality rate (under one year) declined fourfold to below 11 per 1,000, while the neonatal mortality rate dropped fivefold, from 44 per 1,000 in 1990 to 8.8 per 1,000 in 2025.

Medicine support programmes provide significant benefits to patients throughout their course of treatment. (Photo: VNA)

Over 6,000 patients receive free medicines

The schemes focus primarily on cancer, rare diseases and severe chronic conditions, areas where treatment costs are high and often require expensive biological and originator drugs.

A lung transplant surgery at the National Lung Hospital (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam reaches new height in organ transplantation

From demanding cross-country transplants to highly specialised procedures nearing regional and international standards, the sector has created new chances of survival for thousands of patients. However, persistent bottlenecks in organ donation and the legal framework highlight the urgent need to further perfect the national donation–transplantation system. In the era of advanced medicine, progress is measured not only by surgical mastery, but also by the ability to turn loss into hope and sustain life.

The DAV asks pharmacy producers and distributors to increase medicine supply capacity during Tet to meet increasing demand (Photo: VNA)

Measures rolled out to ensure adequate medicine supply during Tet

Accordingly, provincial and municipal health departments are required to direct hospitals, centres for disease control and health care facilities to urgently develop plans and carry out medicine procurement to ensure sufficient supply, absolutely avoiding shortages. Medicines must meet quality standards and be sold at reasonable prices, with no sudden price increases allowed.

Military doctors conduct ultrasound examinations for residents in Dong Dang town, Cao Loc district, Lang Son province. (Photo: VNA)

Resolution 72 opens path to a modern, sustainable healthcare system

To build a resilient healthcare system capable of meeting the challenges of ageing, emerging diseases and rising expectations for quality care, Vietnam must continue to strengthen primary and preventive care, invest in human resources, accelerate digitalisation and big data development, and refine healthcare financing mechanisms.

Vietnam steps up Nipah virus prevention at border gates (Photo: suckhoedoisong.vn)

Vietnam tightens Nipah virus prevention at border gates

Local authorities have been instructed to strengthen disease prevention and control measures at border gates, medical facilities and in the community, stay updated with global disease information, and closely monitor inbound travellers.

Nipah virus infection is designated a Group A infectious disease, with reported fatality rates of between 40 and 75%. (Photo: moh.gov.vn)

Health sector steps up preparedness against Nipah virus disease

Nipah virus infection is designated a Group A infectious disease, with reported fatality rates of between 40 and 75%. At present, no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment is available. The virus is mainly transmitted from animals to humans or through contact with contaminated food and objects, and can also spread between people via direct contact with bodily fluids and secretions of infected patients.

Member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan (Photo: VNA)

Health minister highlights comprehensive, people-centred healthcare orientation

Member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said the Politburo's Resolution No. 72 provides a breakthrough orientation for the protection, care and improvement of the people’s health. It places the people’s health at the centre of all healthcare policies and services, while aiming to address long-standing bottlenecks in the health sector that have yet to be fundamentally resolved.

Elderly people do morning exercises in the Hoan Kiem Lake area in Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)

Strategic roadmap for healthier future

As Vietnam’s population ages rapidly, Dr Angela Pratt, WHO Representative in Vietnam, identified two strategic priorities: strengthening primary healthcare and developing a formal long-term care system. These measures are essential not only for healthy ageing, but also as long-term investments with wide-ranging socio-economic returns.