Representatives of the HCM City University Medicines Centre and Novartis Vietnam sign the Comprehensive Transplantation Management programme which is facilitated through UMC Care* – an existing mobile application. — Photo couttesy of the UMC

HCM CITY — Novartis Vietnam has partnered with the HCM City University Medicines Centre (UMC) to launch a Comprehensive Transplantation Management programme which is facilitated through UMC Care – an existing mobile application developed by UMC since 2021 with a user base of approximately 80,000.

Under the partnership with Novartis, UMC Care app has two functions: Position as a platform for the hospital and its transplant patients to manage their diseases proactively and effectively; facilitate increased interaction with patients before and after transplantation and manage organ donation and provide resources for UMC to build a transplantation patient education program for prospects.

This programme will utilise the digital platform of the UMC Care app to post patient educational materials, articles, videos for healthcare professionals (HCP).

Phạm Văn Tấn, Deputy Director of HCM City University Medicines Centre, said: “We believe this collaboration would allow patients and their caregivers nationwide to access credible information sources. Particularly, the application will enable transplantation patients at UMC to interact and connect with their doctors anytime, anywhere.”

As per the data from the Ministry of Health, Việt Nam had conducted approximately 7,500 organ transplants by the end of March 2023. The number of organ transplants in Việt Nam has seen a significant rise, increasing from 283 cases in 2014 to 1,004 cases in 2022.

The success rate of organ transplants in Việt Nam is on par with other countries in the region. The immediate post-transplant success rate is over 95 per cent, and the survival rate after five years is between 85-90 per cent. Among these, kidney transplants account for 90 per cent, while the remaining 10 per cent includes heart, liver, lung and pancreas transplants.

Despite significant progress in organ transplantation over the past 30 years, Việt Nam still faces many challenges. These include a lack of organ sources, limited transplantation coordination, low treatment adherence, and improper post-transplant treatment leading to transplant rejection and risk of death. Patients also face knowledge gaps about post-transplant care, unstable immunosuppression supply, and a lack of effective interaction platforms.

“As a global leader in the pharmaceutical industry, Novartis takes pride in being a trusted partner of the Vietnamese healthcare system," said Karina Ng, Country President, Novartis Vietnam. 

"We hope that the sponsorship for UMC Care would help bridge the gaps that transplantation patients are facing.”

Since 2018, UMC has started implementing organ transplantation. Currently, UMC is managing about 100 kidney transplant patients and 50 liver transplant patients. UMC's plans include positioning transplantation as the hospital's top priority in the next three to five years. They aim to develop a Transplantation Excellence Centre at UMC the biggest in South Việt Nam, including heart, kidney and liver transplants.— VNS