HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health has agreed to further co-operation with the Global Tuberculosis (TB) Programme by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and signed other agreements at the 71st World Health Assembly, which runs from May 21 to 26 in Geneva (Switzerland), Vietnam News Agency reported.

In a meeting with representatives of Ministry of Health and Welfare of South Korea, Lê Quang Cường, Vice Minister of Health, urged further co-operation between the two, which would be brought to the table when the South Korean Minister of Health and Welfare visits Việt Nam.

Both sides also pointed out the need of accelerate the process of authorising practising certificates for medical personnel.

The Vietnamese official also proposed further co-operation to Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the WHO Global Tuberculosis Programme.

Kasaeva asked Việt Nam to share experience on countering Tuberculosis with other countries, before proposing Việt Nam attend the UN High-Level Meeting on Tuberculosis which will be held in New York in September.

On the occasion, Cường also signed the action document at the Ministerial Call for Action to eliminate Malaria before 2030 in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

On the sidelines of the health assembly, head of Ministry of Health’s International Cooperation Department (ICD) Dr Trần Thị Giáng Hương discussed with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about countering cancer in Việt Nam via developing human recourses, predicting cancer and irradiation treatment.

Hương discussed with Resolve to Save Lives President and CEO Dr Tom Frieden about solutions for decreasing high-blood pressure by reducing the percentage of sodium in food and countering strokes on a community scale.

Resolve proposed to send a representative to Việt Nam in July for further discussion. The project has succeeded in many Asian countries including China, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

Vietnamese health representatives also met their Thai counterparts to propose Việt Nam hosting the 10th time Asia-Pacific Action Alliance on Human Resources for Health (AAAH).

Furthermore, Việt Nam has agreed to co-sponsor South Korea and Sweden’s conference about antibiotics resistance. Hương has joined the Operation Department of the conference and shared Việt Nam’s experience in countering antibiotics resistance. — VNS