People in Phú Thọ Province receive counselling and guidance on community TB detection. — VNA/VNS Photos

HÀ NỘI — The National Lung Hospital and the National Tuberculosis Control Programme have officially urged the Ministry of Health to integrate tuberculosis (TB) screening into annual health checks, aligning with a resolution on strengthening public health protection and care.

Resolution 72‑NQ/TW of September 9, 2025, states that from 2026, every citizen will be entitled to at least one periodic or free health screening each year, and directs the health sector to shift focus from treatment to prevention, with primary care as the foundation.

The proposal also comes as global momentum builds toward World TB Day on March 24.

Việt Nam’s 2026 theme, 'Link TB detection with periodic health checks for every citizen', mirrors the global slogan 'Yes! We Can End TB! Led by Countries! Powered by People!' and underscores the government’s commitment to prioritise early detection in its TB strategy.

Senior physician Dr Đinh Văn Lượng, director of the National Lung Hospital and head of the National TB Control Programme, said the proposal aims to close large gaps in TB detection by making screening a standard element of initial and periodic health checks and by recording results on health certificates and in annual health record books.

The plan also calls for TB monitoring to be integrated into electronic health records so follow‑up and surveillance can be streamlined.

Việt Nam’s TB programme reported improved outcomes in 2025. More than 119,000 TB cases were detected, an increase of about 5 per cent over 2024; 75 per cent of cases had bacteriological confirmation, up 3 per cent; and the national treatment success rate reached 90 per cent, above the global average.

Despite these gains, WHO estimates for 2025 remain stark: roughly 184,000 new TB cases in Việt Nam, about 9,400 drug‑resistant cases and some 12,000 TB deaths annually.

Việt Nam ranks 12th among 30 countries with the highest TB burden and 10th for drug‑resistant TB.

Dr Lượng said that TB screening is still not part of the standard package for initial or routine health examinations.

National surveys show that only about 23 per cent of people accessed medical care in 2024. Although some 52 million employed people receive annual checkups via their workplaces, TB screening is frequently left out.

The programme estimates that 40-50 per cent of the population is currently not screened for TB, leaving many infections undetected and untreated.

Residents attend TB and other lung disease screenings in Hải Phòng City.

The southern region accounts for roughly 60 per cent of detected TB cases and is identified as a priority for intensified investment and targeted interventions. Officials say concentrating resources in high‑burden areas while strengthening primary care screening nationwide will be essential to reducing community transmission.

The National Lung Hospital and the TB programme have submitted a set of recommendations to the Ministry of Health, including mandating TB screening in annual and free public health checks and adding TB screening items to health certificates and periodic health record books.

They recommend updating training and licensing requirements to strengthen physicians’ screening capacity and integrating TB monitoring into electronic health records. 

They also suggest combining TB screening with checks for other respiratory illnesses at the primary‑care level and ensuring sustainable funding for screening, diagnosis and treatment, and reinforcing pulmonary hospitals so that each province and city has specialised capacity. — VNS