Health

On January 27, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) announced the conclusion of the official visit to Viet Nam by Dr Aleksandar (Sasha) Bodiroza, Acting Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.

Viet Nam’s Ministry of Health has issued an urgent dispatch requesting hospitals and healthcare facilities to proactively prevent the spread of the Nipah virus following reports of cases in India.

Viet Nam remains among the top 15 countries worldwide with the highest rate of smoking among men, with more than 15 million users. Therefore, the need to add “risk factor reduction” to the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms has become increasingly urgent.

The issuance of Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW marks a profound shift in awareness and action in the work of protecting, caring for and improving the people’s health. At the same time, it introduces comprehensive innovation with breakthrough solutions aimed at building a healthy Viet Nam, where all people receive healthcare, live longer, healthier and more wholesome lives, improve their physical wellbeing, raise awareness of health protection, and proactively prevent disease across society.

To prepare health-care services for the 14th National Party Congress, under the direction of the Ministry of Health, hospitals such as Bach Mai, Huu Nghi, Viet Duc and Military Hospital 108, together with their doctors and nurses, have been fully ready to respond to any situations that may arise.

Member of the Party Central Committee and Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan has underscored the determination to shift Viet Nam’s healthcare system from a treatment-oriented approach to comprehensive, people-centred care across the life cycle, while speaking with the press on the implementation of the Politburo's Resolution No. 72 issued on September 9, 2025.

The Ha Noi Medical University Elderly Health Care - Medical Complex is designed as a multi-functional integrated hub combining high-quality medical services, education and clinical training, scientific research, technology transfer and comprehensive elderly care, forming a synchronised healthcare–education–research ecosystem.

Over 300 medical staff have been deployed by the Ministry of Health to offer medical services for the upcoming 14th National Party Congress, officials announced during a meeting in Ha Noi on January 15 to review healthcare preparations for the event.

Viet Nam has abundant medicinal resources, along with many unique experiences in using medicinal plants and remedies for disease prevention and treatment from various ethnic communities.

The Ministry of Health on January 12 conducted a medical services drill at the National Convention Centre to ensure health and medical preparedness for the coming 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam.

The Standing Board of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, in coordination with the Social Security agency of the city Farmers’ Association and Gia Dinh People’s Hospital, organised a programme to present health insurance cards and Lunar New Year (Tet) gifts 2026 to disadvantaged people in Ho Tram Commune.

In 2025, Lexi, a health technology startup applying artificial intelligence (AI), received consecutive honours at numerous prestigious international awards and competitions, leaving a strong mark across the fields of social enterprise, design, technology, and health equity.

At its 10th session, the 15th National Assembly voted to pass the Law on Disease Prevention No. 114/2025/QH15, which will take effect on July 1, 2026. This is a law of major significance, establishing a comprehensive legal foundation for disease prevention, with a shift in approach from “responding through examination and treatment” to “proactive disease prevention”, placing people at the centre.

Those from near-poor households and seniors aged 75 and above receiving social pension benefits qualify for full reimbursement of medical examination and treatment costs under Viet Nam's health insurance system from January 1, 2026, according to a resolution passed by the National Assembly on December 11, 2025, the Ministry of Health said.

In 2025, the health sector has continued to receive significant attention from the Party and state through the issuance of resolutions, laws, and decrees, helping to shape a strategy towards a healthy Viet Nam.

By the end of 2025, Viet Nam is expected to have around 97.57 million people participating in health insurance, brining the coverage rate to approximately 95.16 per cent of the population — an increase of more than two million compared with the previous year.

The Ministry of Health has affirmed that the Population Law, once enacted, will serve as the overarching legal framework for Viet Nam’s demographic work in the country’s next phase of development.

In the early days of December 2025, the programme “Providing health insurance cards for people in difficult circumstances”, launched by Viet Nam Social Security, took place in a supportive and meaningful atmosphere.

Efforts to prevent and combat the harmful effects of tobacco in Viet Nam have achieved notable results in recent years, helping to protect hundreds of thousands of people from illness and premature death caused by smoking.

The National Centre for Health Education and Communication held a ceremony on December 26, to review and honour winners of the “Online Multiple-Choice Quiz on the Expanded Programme on Immunisation in Viet Nam”.