Investing in Ending Tuberculosis Path to Sustainable Development in Vietnam
Investing in ending tuberculosis is a path to sustainable development in Vietnam, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said, explaining that ending tuberculosis in Vietnam means reducing the risk of death for over 13,000 people annually and relieving hundreds of thousands of families from worrying about tuberculosis.
Minister Lan made the statement at an event in Hanoi on March 22 to commemorate World Tuberculosis Day (March 24). The event featured WHO Representative in Vietnam Angela Pratt, USAID Mission Director in Vietnam Aler Grubbs, along with representatives from various departments, organizations, social groups, and international partners.
Underlining the importance of detecting tuberculosis at the grassroots level, Minister Lan emphasized that the document "Guidelines for implementing active case-finding activities for tuberculosis, latent tuberculosis, and some respiratory diseases at community and health facilities - Enhancing the role of health facilities in diagnosing and treating diseases," developed by the National Tuberculosis Control Program, will enhance the capacity of grassroots healthcare workers to detect tuberculosis promptly within local communities. The minister requested the distribution of this handbook to over 11,000 commune health stations, district health centers, and directly to communities.
Vietnam still faces a substantial burden of tuberculosis, with a slow reduction rate and inadequate investment in tuberculosis control efforts, posing a risk of a community tuberculosis outbreak, stated Dr. Dinh Van Luong, director of the National Lung Hospital and head of the National Tuberculosis Control Program.
Both the WHO Representative in Vietnam Angela Pratt and USAID Mission Director in Vietnam Aler Grubbs praised Vietnam's commitments, acknowledging its efforts and achievements in tuberculosis prevention and control.
In 2023, the National Tuberculosis Control Program detected 106,086 cases of tuberculosis in various forms. The rate of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis detection in 2023 was 3,775 patients, higher than in 2020, 2021, and 2022, with increases of 7.8%, 45.8%, and 9.5%, respectively.
Vietnam bears a significant burden of tuberculosis and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, ranking 11th among 30 countries with the highest number of cases and the highest tuberculosis burden globally.
Each year, Vietnam has about 9,200 new cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, accounting for 4.5% of new tuberculosis patients and 15% of those previously treated. Compared to the Northern and Central regions, the burden of tuberculosis in the South is much heavier, especially in the provinces of the Southwest with around 400-500 cases per 100,000 people.