USAID helps Vietnam redouble efforts to end TB

Vietnam National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) and USAID on December 15 expanded the Ministry of Health/NTP’s “Double X” Strategy for tuberculosis (TB) case identification in a bid to wipe out this respiratory disease in Vietnam by 2030.
USAID helps Vietnam redouble efforts to end TB ảnh 1At the event (Photo courtesy of the US Embassy in Vietnam)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Vietnam National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) and USAID on December15 expanded the Ministry of Health/NTP’s “Double X” Strategy for tuberculosis(TB) case identification in a bid to wipe out this respiratory disease in Vietnamby 2030.

DoubleX is a new strategy to diagnose TB using chest X-rays and GeneXpert, adiagnostic method that detects TB bacteria.

Atan event entitled “Health Partnerships to End TB in Vietnam - Applying the“Double X” Strategy held on December 15 in Hanoi, participants shared keyachievements and lessons in implementing the Strategy, including keyachievements of the NTP toward TB goals; outcomes from USAID Sustainable HIVand TB Responses from Technical Assistance (SHIFT) activity on the Double-XStrategy in seven provinces in Vietnam, experiences from provincial TBprogrammes; and multi-faceted TB strategies using Double X from internationalorganisations.

Vietnamranks 11th among the 30 countries that account for nearly 90 percent ofthe world’s TB burden. It is also one of the most common communicable diseasesin the country.

Eachyear, it is estimated that 170,000 people become sick from TB in Vietnam, butonly around 100,000 are accounted for in the National TB system, leaving around50,000 community TB cases undiagnosed, and the remaining 20,000 diagnosed butnot reported.

DeputyMinister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen said the country has made encouragingachievements in the fight against TB, especially the fact that it couldsuccessfully treat 92 percent of first-time TB patients, 75-80 percent ofthe patients with multidrug resistant TB with short-term treatment while theglobal figure is about 56 percent.

Thenumber of TB patients is on a gradual downtrend, with a decline of only 4 percenta year, according to Tuyen, who said the national programme should maximise theuse of existing tools in diagnosing and treating TB with universal healthinsurance; while at the same time, expanding the application of newidentification tools, new drugs and vaccines, with the help of partners both inand outside the country.

ProfessorNguyen Viet Nhung, chair of the national programme on fighting TB, said justlike COVID-19, TB infection incidents need to be detected as soon as possibleso risks of transmission in the community are reduced and the hospitalisationfor the patients themselves would be shorter.

Endingthe TB epidemic in Vietnam will require intensive effort. The USAID SHIFTproject’s partnership with the NTP has piloted the comprehensive Double XStrategy in health facilities and communities in 18 districts in sevenprovinces (Thai Binh, Nghe An, An Giang, Can Tho, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, and TienGiang).

DoubleX will be further scaled up to 25 provinces in December 2020. Sites forimplementation will include provincial hospitals (lung hospitals, generalhospitals) as well as district health centres and general hospitals./. 

VNA

See more

Over 200 health professionals from the University Medical Centre Ho Chi Minh City (UMC) successfully perform organ procurement and transplantation on January 25. (Photo: VNA)

Brain-dead organ donor helps save four people

The surgeries marked significant milestones in organ donation counselling and advocacy efforts across southern localities, helping to expand the national organ donation network, spread a message of humanity, and offer hope and life-saving opportunities to many patients.

At the MoU signing ceremony between TAMRI and the University of Oxford. (Photo: baochinhphu.vn)

Vietnam, UK step up medical research, training cooperation

Tam Anh Research Institute (TAMRI) under Tam Anh General Hospital Group has recently announced its Memorandum of Understanding on scientific research and medical training collaboration with the University of Oxford, marking the prestigious British institution’s first bilateral agreement with a Vietnamese research institute and hospital system.

Passengers conduct immigration procedures at Huu Nghi International Border Gate in Lang Son province. (Photo: VNA)

Heightened measures put in place at Tet holiday to counter infectious diseases

The Ministry of Health has sent a document to the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities regarding the strengthening of infectious disease prevention and control during the Lunar New Year (Tet) and the 2025 festival season, given increases in contagious diseases, especially respiratory illnesses, around the world.

Representatives of ChungAng University Hospital (RoK) and Doosan Vina present medical supplies to General Hospital of Quang Ngai province (Photo: VNA)

RoK hospital provides medical checkups, equipment to Quang Ngai residents

A delegation from the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s ChungAng University Hospital on January 15 delivered free medical checkups, consultations, and medicines for nearly 1,000 residents of Nghia Ha, Tinh Long, and Tinh An communes of Quang Ngai city and patients at the General Hospital in the central province of Quang Ngai.

As many as 41 families agree to donate organs and tissues of brain-dead relatives in 2024. - Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam makes strides in organ donation, transplantation

Dozens of organ and tissue donation advocacy groups have been established, with strong participation of both public and private healthcare facilities, helping to significantly lift the number of individuals registering for posthumous organ and tissue donation, heard a conference in Hanoi on January 7.

Vietnam leads Southeast Asia in organ transplants

Vietnam leads Southeast Asia in organ transplants

Vietnam has emerged as Southeast Asia's leader in organ transplantation, performing over 1,000 procedures annually, but it faces significant challenges in brain-dead donor donations, according to a health official.

Doctors conduct surgery at Endoscopy Department of Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)

Six hospitals to be upgraded to meet international standards

Six hospitals will be prioritised for investment and upgrades to meet international standards, part of the Government's decision approving the implementation of the master plan for the healthcare network for the period of 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050.