Danish Minister of Health Ellen Trane Norby speaks at the workshop (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – A workshop spotlighting Vietnam – Denmark
cooperation on took place at the Hanoi
Medical University on April 10.
Co-organised by the university and Denmark Embassy in
Vietnam, the workshop focused on the importance of grassroots health care and
awareness-raising regarding non-communicable diseases. It was attended by
visiting Danish Minister of Health .
Reports at the discussion showed an upward trend of chronic
diseases and related deaths in Vietnam. According to latest data, for every 10
deaths, seven were due to non-communicable diseases such as heart diseases,
diabetes, cancer or lung issues. The country is estimated to have 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 both Vietnam and Denmark are
undertaking reform of their medical sector with an aim toward making initial
healthcare a major factor in reducing the rate of chronic diseases. The sector
is also a direct cooperative area between the two countries, she added.
The official said health care reforms and technology
application must be intensified to ensure everyone’s access to care.
The health ministries of Denmark and Vietnam are piloting a
new approach to non-communicable diseases in 30 commune-level health stations
in four districts of the northern province of Thai Binh, aiming at building
primary care capacity at the grassroots level. Selected health workers in these
areas are set to start their training on April 11, with learning materials
co-developed by both Danish and Vietnamese experts.-VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
