Nghe An: Proactive tuberculosis screening in the community.
On the morning of March 20th, the Nghe An Department of Health, in coordination with the Nghe An Lung Hospital, organized a conference to summarize the work on tuberculosis prevention and control in 2025 and a rally to commemorate World Tuberculosis Day (March 24th).
Attending the conference was Ms. Le Thi Hoai Chung, Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Director of the Department of Health. Also present were leaders, officials, and staff of Nghe An Lung Hospital.
According to the report presented at the conference, in 2025, tuberculosis prevention and control in the province will continue to be maintained stably from the provincial level to the grassroots level, helping people easily access medical services. The success rate of tuberculosis treatment will reach over 90%, and many basic professional indicators will be completed according to plan. In particular, proactive screening activities in the community will be strengthened, contributing to the early detection of many cases of the disease.
During the period 2021-2025, the province is expected to detect an average of approximately 1,690 tuberculosis patients of all forms each year; of which, pulmonary tuberculosis with bacterial evidence accounts for about 68%. The number of people with tuberculosis per 100,000 population in 2025 is projected to be 49.53 people/100,000 population.
The average cure and treatment completion rate over the years has been over 90%; the treatment dropout rate has been below 5% of the total number of tuberculosis patients, and the number of deaths due to tuberculosis has been kept below 1 person per 100,000 population. Regular management and monitoring of tuberculosis patients in the community have contributed to limiting community transmission.
The Steering Committees for Tuberculosis Prevention and Control at all levels have proactively implemented the Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Plan in their respective areas, ensuring that the set requirements and objectives are met and gradually improving the effectiveness of inter-sectoral coordination in its implementation.
The Department of Health assigned the Nghe An Lung Hospital – the leading specialized unit – to develop an annual tuberculosis prevention and control plan; assigned specific targets to health centers; and regularly monitored, urged, and inspected the progress of implementation. The directives were issued in a coordinated manner, contributing to maintaining the stability of the tuberculosis prevention and control network from the provincial level to the grassroots.
Inter-sectoral coordination has been strengthened, and many communication, monitoring, and treatment support activities for tuberculosis patients in the community have been effectively implemented, contributing to reducing stigma and improving treatment adherence.
However, the health sector also pointed out many difficulties, as Nghe An is a large area with a scattered population, and many mountainous and remote areas still have limited access to healthcare services. In addition, some people still have a complacent or hesitant attitude, making early detection of diseases difficult.
In light of this situation, in 2026, the Nghe An Health Department aims to continue expanding proactive screening activities in the community, strengthening the application of modern testing techniques, and improving the detection rate of tuberculosis patients and latent tuberculosis. At the same time, it will focus on reducing treatment dropout rates, strictly controlling drug-resistant tuberculosis, and enhancing effective coordination between different levels of the health system.
Speaking at the conference, Director of the Department of Health Le Thi Hoai Chung requested that relevant units focus on proactive disease prevention strategies to achieve the goal of ending tuberculosis in Vietnam by 2035. In addition, she emphasized the need to shift the mindset from treating the disease to conducting regular health checkups at least once a year to detect the disease early and ensure strict adherence to treatment, instead of self-medicating.
The Director of the Department of Health also proposed improving the capacity of primary healthcare, transforming health stations into a network of care close to the people, and integrating tuberculosis prevention and control programs with other non-communicable diseases to optimize resources. Health is a priceless asset, therefore the whole society must unite in protecting themselves and the community from this disease.
