HÀ NỘI — Diabetes patients in Việt Nam will be able to benefit from a project, entitled ’First day of diabetic’s life’, launched at a ceremony in Hà Nội on Friday.

The event is part of the 21st French and Việt Nam Medical Exchange organised by the French Embassy in Việt Nam, in collaboration with the Việt Nam Association of Endocrinology and Diabetes (VAED) and French Servier Laboratories in Việt Nam.

"The project is an education programme for diabetes self-management that aims to increase the knowledge, skill and ability necessary to help diabetic patients initiate effective self-management and cope with diabetes when they are first diagnosed with it," said VAED President Prof Thái Ngọc Quang.

Quang said that the number of undiagnosed and untreated diabetes patients in Việt Nam was high, while the diagnosed patients were not managing the disease well.

Statistics from the health ministry revealed that Việt Nam had about 3.5 million patients with diabetes in 2015. About 50 per cent of the diabetes patients have not been diagnosed yet, while 60 per cent of the diagnosed patients have not been controlling the disease. 

“One of the main reasons is the poor self-management of diabetes patients,” said Quang.

“The education programme will enable patients to optimise metabolic control, prevent and manage complications, and maximise the quality of life in a cost-effective manner,” said Quang.

The programme also aims to improve the quality of diabetes treatment, as well as reduce the treatment expenses for diabetes patients and hospitals in Việt Nam. It will focus on education and communication programmes to improve the consulting ability of doctors to help patients manage the disease themselves at hospitals and medical facilities.

Patients and their families will be provided with information relating to diabetes through various means, such as documents, hot line, mobile application and the website ngaydautien.vn.

The French and Việt Nam Medical Exchange is an annual event where health experts and doctors from Việt Nam and France exchange medical information and experience in the management and treatment of heart, endocrinology and mental diseases. Over the past 20 years, the programme has helped improve the treatment quality and benefited patients, as well as heightened the medical collaboration between Việt Nam and France. — VNS