Việt Nam pledges to strengthen TB tuberculosis prevention and control efforts

March 25, 2025 - 09:27
Last year, the National Tuberculosis Control Programme achieved its best results to date, detecting over 113,000 TB cases (a seven per cent increase from 2023), with a bacteriologically confirmed TB detection rate of over 72 per cent and a treatment success rate of 89 per cent (higher than the global rate of 88 per cent).
A patient with TB is treated in a healthcare facility. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam has, across 2025, a commitment to further investment and action to end TB in alignment with the global theme of World Tuberculosis Day on March 24.

This theme underscores the importance of sustainable commitment, resource investment and effective actions in TB prevention and control.

The National Tuberculosis Control Programme has been and will continue to intensify comprehensive and effective TB prevention and control interventions from central to local levels, achieving positive results in recent years.

Global TB prevention efforts have entered a new phase following the success of the United Nations meeting about TB in September 2023, with UN member states in attendance, demonstrating an unprecedented level of political commitment and determination in the fight against TB.

Following the achievements and strong impact of 2023 and 2024, this year’s World TB Day continues to emphasise the importance of commitments, investment and actions to end TB.

According to the National Tuberculosis Control Programme, there are just a few years left to achieve the goal of eradicating TB by 2030.

This year's theme highlights the importance of sustainable commitment, resource investment and effective intervention measures in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and TB care.

The key messages of this year’s TB prevention campaign are commitment, investment and action.

That commitment includes reminding nations of their pledges made at that United Nations TB meeting in 2023.

However, commitment alone is not enough—concrete actions through national strategies and policies are required for effective TB control.

Investment is to strengthening and diversifying investments in resources to accelerate efforts to end TB by 2030.

And action is implementing commitments and investments effectively, ensuring that interventions directly benefit TB-affected individuals. This includes expanding evidence-based interventions, actively detecting TB cases, early and accurate diagnosis, preventive treatment and high-quality TB care.

Community engagement, social participation, and multi-sectoral collaboration are essential to achieving this goal.

Over the years, the Party and Government of Việt Nam have demonstrated strong commitment to TB prevention through concrete policies and actions.

In 2024 the National Tuberculosis Control Programme achieved its best results to date, detecting over 113,000 TB cases (a seven per cent increase from 2023), with a bacteriologically confirmed TB detection rate of over 72 per cent and a treatment success rate of 89 per cent (higher than the global rate of 88 per cent).

This success came shortly after the implementation of an official directive from the Prime Minister.

However, the TB epidemic in Việt Nam remains severe.

The National Tuberculosis Control Programme estimates that Việt Nam has approximately 182,000 new TB cases annually, with 9,900 cases of drug-resistant TB and around 11,000 TB-related deaths each year.

In 2023, Việt Nam ranked 12th among the 30 countries with the highest TB burden and tenth among the 30 countries with the highest number of drug-resistant TB cases worldwide.

So achieving the goal of eliminating TB requires strong support and commitment from leaders at all levels, relevant ministries, sectors, organisations, and society as a whole to ensure sustainable financial resources and implement comprehensive TB prevention measures from central to local levels. — VNS

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