Priority areas of Vietnam's health sector after 2015

The ASEAN Health Partnership Group Meeting for the third quarter of 2014 with the theme of the Post-2015 Health Development Agenda took place on November 26 in Hanoi.

Deputy Minister of Health Le Quang Cuong and Acting Chief Representative of the World Health Organization in Vietnam Jeffrey Kobza chaired the meeting.

The meeting aims to discuss with development partners the Post-2015 Health Development Agenda at the global level; identify priorities for health development cooperation in the ASEAN region after 2015; orient priorities for health development cooperation in Vietnam after 2015; update information and discuss global documents on international health partnerships to set priority health goals for ASEAN countries...

Illustrative photo. (Photo: Duong Ngoc/VNA)

Delegates attending the meeting shared the view that, with changes in the post-2015 context, the ASEAN community needs to prepare to meet challenges in the coming time.

In order to achieve success in the health agenda, health targets and priorities have been set for the health cooperation plan in ASEAN countries, including the target group of promoting healthy lifestyles; dealing with emerging threats and risks; strengthening health systems and access to health care services; ensuring food safety. In which, it is determined to strengthen a strong health system to deal with infectious diseases, emerging infectious diseases and neglected tropical diseases; responding to environmental health threats, risks and disasters, ensuring preparedness in medical disaster management in the region...

Vietnam has also identified a number of priorities for the health sector after 2015, including preventive medicine, medical examination and treatment, maternal and child health - population and family planning, universal health coverage, health financing, health planning and information, food safety and hygiene, pharmaceuticals and traditional medicine, HIV/AIDS, and legislation.

In preventive medicine, Vietnam has effectively implemented global health security cooperation in controlling infectious and non-communicable diseases; strengthened management of vaccine use, border health quarantine and application of information technology in preventive medicine; increased investment in facilities and equipment for the preventive medicine system; treated medical waste, prevented occupational diseases and accidents; and implemented measures to respond to climate change.

In medical examination and treatment, the industry continues to implement solutions in the hospital overload reduction project such as the satellite hospital project, the project to pilot the family doctor clinic model, and the limited-term rotation regime of practitioners at medical examination and treatment facilities.

The sector improves the quality of medical examination and treatment through guiding the implementation, inspection and supervision of quality documents such as hospitals; enhancing access to medical services, consolidating and perfecting the grassroots medical network, innovating primary health care, strengthening island medical care, combining military and civilian medicine... /.

According to VNA