Minister of Health Nguyễn Thanh Long and World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the Western Pacific Takeshi Kasai held talks on Friday. — Photo suckhoedoisong.vn

HÀ NỘI — Minister of Health Nguyễn Thanh Long held online talks with World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the Western Pacific Takeshi Kasai on Friday to discuss healthcare cooperation.

They exchanged formation on pandemic prevention and control tasks, particularly regarding vaccinating children and increasing information dissemination about the benefits of vaccination.

They agreed to organise international conferences in the future to discuss measures in response to dangerous infectious diseases and strengthen the medical system’s capacity and increase universal health coverage.  

Director Kasai said he appreciated Việt Nam’s achievements in the vaccination campaign against COVID-19.

Việt Nam is one of the six countries with the highest vaccination coverage rate globally.

Việt Nam has so far administered more than 207 million doses of vaccines. Almost 100 per cent of the adult population received the first dose, and 99.8 per cent had the full two jabs. The rate of the adult population injected with the third dose is 50.2 per cent.

About 99.8 per cent of children aged between 12 and 17 were inoculated with the first dose, and 95.1 per cent received the two full doses.

Việt Nam is speeding up the vaccination of the third dose at localities and preparing to inoculate children between 5 and 11 years old.

Minister Long thanked the WHO and Kasai for their support for the healthcare task of Việt Nam.

He proposed the WHO's work as a bridge between Việt Nam and other countries in healthcare cooperation, enhancing pharmaceutical and medical management, increasing professional knowledge exchange with other countries such as in technology transfer and medical examination and treatment, and organising training to improve medical workers’ capacity. — VNS