HÀ NỘI – The Vietnamese Government prioritises health care and stands ready to continue cooperating with Denmark in medical technology to modernise the health care system and improve quality of life, said Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc.

At his reception for Danish Minister of Health Ellen Trane Norby in Hà Nội yesterday, PM Phúc said he hoped to receive further support from Denmark in the prevention of non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular illness and high blood pressure as well as in medical personnel training.

Lauding the northern European country’s achievements in managing and providing comprehensive public health care as well as mobilising the involvement of the private sector, the leader said he hoped that Denmark would share its experiences with Việt Nam and help Việt Nam apply information technology in the medical sector.

Ellen Trane Norby affirmed that Denmark was willing to help Việt Nam in health care and food safety research.

VN-Denmark workshop

Denmark holds strengths in cancer prevention, control of diabetes and many other non-communicable diseases, she said, expressing her hope that both sides would deepen cooperation in the fields.

As part of her visit to Việt Nam, the Danish health minister yesterday also took part in a workshop at the Hà Nội Medical University on the importance of grassroots health care and awareness-raising regarding non-communicable diseases.

At the workshop, reports showed an upward trend of non-communicable diseases and related deaths in Việt Nam. According to latest data, for every 10 deaths, seven were due to non-communicable diseases such as heart diseases, diabetes, cancer or lung issues. According to estimates, Việt Nam has some 12 million people suffering from high blood pressure, nearly 3 million diabetes patients and 2 million with chronic heart and lung diseases, in addition to 120,000 new cancer cases every year. The leading causes were deemed to be smoking, drinking, heavy consumption of fat and little intake of vegetables or fruits and lack of physical exercise.

The Danish health minister said that health reforms and technology application must be intensified to ensure everyone’s access to care.

The health ministries of Denmark and Việt Nam are piloting a new approach to non-communicable diseases in 30 commune-level health stations in four districts of the northern province of Thái Bình, with the aim of building primary care capacity at the grassroots level. Selected health workers in these areas would start their training today, with learning materials co-developed by both Danish and Vietnamese experts. — VNS