Representatives of the Ministry of Health and Abbott at the meeting.— Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Health

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health and global healthcare company Abbott will collaborate to improve public health, particularly in elder care, diabetes management and managing other non-communicable diseases, as well as initiatives to raise public awareness.

The cooperation initiatives came after the recent meeting between Deputy Minister of Health and Chairman of the National Medical Council Prof Dr Trần Văn Thuấn and Abbott’s delegation led by Douglas Kuo, Divisional Vice President and General Manager for Việt Nam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Deputy Minister of Health and Chairman of the National Medical Council Prof. Dr. Trần Văn Thuấn speaks at the meeting. — Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Health

At the meeting, Prof. Thuấn praised Abbott’s longstanding partnership with Việt Nam, noting its contributions to improving community health through science-based nutrition and healthcare initiatives.

He affirmed that Việt Nam is prioritising comprehensive health management across the life cycle, from prevention and early screening to rehabilitation and long-term care, in line with the Politburo Resolution 72-NQ/TW, which aims to establish a modern, equitable, and sustainable healthcare system by 2045.

Douglas Kuo, Abbott's Divisional Vice President and General Manager for Việt Nam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. — Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Health

Douglas Kuo highlighted Abbott’s three-decade commitment to Việt Nam and its ongoing partnership in driving the national health strategy and priorities, which aim to raise life expectancy above 80 years and healthy life years beyond 71 by 2045. He also shared Abbott’s contributions to tackling malnutrition and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, and cancer.

Abbott’s initiatives include the AFINS Clinical Nutrition Support Project, which reduced hospital malnutrition rates and trained thousands of healthcare professionals. Building on this, the Quality Improvement Programme has standardised nutrition screening across 82 hospitals, benefiting more than 2.6 million patients since 2016.

The company also assisted the National Institute for Food Safety Testing and engaged in international forums like APEC 2017 to highlight Việt Nam’s leadership in healthcare and improved health outcomes.

In addition, Abbott worked closely with the Ministry of Health to develop and implement clinical guidelines, including those for managing Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, contributing to national goals for improving maternal health and the well-being of mothers and babies.

The meeting addressed challenges posed by Việt Nam’s rapidly ageing population, with over 60 per cent of the national disease burden linked to chronic conditions among older adults.

Abbott expressed support for the country’s elderly care policies and proposed joint efforts to develop, update comprehensive clinical guidelines and build programmes to improve care for elders, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases such as cancer.

These partnerships and efforts aim for better access to health care, effective prevention and management of age-related health complications and enhancing quality of care.

Abbott also pledged its continued delivery of advanced nutrition solutions, medicines, diagnostic systems, and treatment technologies, along with community programmes to support improving Vietnamese stature and public health.

Deputy Minister Trần Văn Thuấn welcomed Abbott’s proposals, assigning relevant health departments to collaborate with the company on partnership programmes for elderly care and chronic disease management, as well as public health awareness programmes.

Both sides reaffirmed their shared vision of advancing healthcare quality and sustainability, underscoring the importance of science-backed solutions and collaborative action to meet Việt Nam’s evolving health needs. — VNS