Representatives of Bright Future Fund and AstraZeneca Vietnam sign MoU on improving comprehensive healthcare and health equity in Việt Nam. — Photo courtesy of the Bright Future Fund

HÀ NỘI — The Cancer Patient Support Fund (Bright Future Fund) and AstraZeneca Vietnam have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on comprehensive healthcare for cancer patients and to promote healthcare equity.

The cooperation will extend the cooperation between AstraZeneca and the Bright Future Fund, simultaneously promoting comprehensive patient care programmes, early screening awareness, improved treatment access and enhanced quality of life for cancer patients. The collaboration contributes to achieving healthcare equity and aims to eliminate cancer as a leading cause of death in Việt Nam.

Under the framework of the MoU, AstraZeneca and the Bright Future Fund will jointly implement the following activities, including providing comprehensive healthcare programmes and appropriate financial support for patients to reduce patient financial burdens, increase treatment access and improve treatment adherence.

The project will also help raise community awareness about early lung cancer screening to increase early-stage lung cancer diagnosis rates and build and develop networks and centres for innovation, digital transformation, research and application of advanced technologies and AI in healthcare. It will also establish, organise and implement cancer patient clubs in the oncology departments of hospitals.

According to GLOBOCAN 2022, Việt Nam had about 180,480 new cancer cases and 120,184 cancer deaths. Breast, liver, and lung cancers were the most prevalent, with rising incidence and mortality rates. Over 70 per cent of Vietnamese cancer patients are diagnosed at late stages, leading to lower survival rates compared to developed countries. — VNS