Vietnam bolsters cooperation in diabetes prevention

The event drew the participation of 300
delegates, including health ministers, senior government officials, academics,
and experts from 18 countries and territories.

Speaking at the conference, Tien said Vietnam is
facing a huge burden of non-communicable diseases in general and diabetes in
particular, adding that diabetes accounts for 4 percent of the country’s total
death figures.

The rate of people with diabetes in Vietnam has
doubled in 10 years, currently standing at 3 million people. The disease is also
among the 10 major causes of disabilities in both males and females over the
years, she noted. 

This year, the country launched the Vietnam
Health Programme, focusing on 11 prioritised fields to improve people’s
well-being, address factors such as nutrition, physical activity, and the prevention
of harmful substances such as cigarettes, alcohol, and beer.

To enhance the prevention, screening, and
treatment of diabetes, Vietnam has paid due attention to technological
application in health information provision, as well as work to improve
individuals’ behavioural capabilities in management and healthcare, she said.

In particular, the country has built a portal
for the national health plan to raise public awareness and bolster guidance for
people to assess health risks, discover their diseases, and take care of their
health.

Accordingly, Vietnam looks to cooperate with
other countries to share information, update new technology, and learn of the best
practices in technology application and behavioural science in prevention of
and diabetes, said the Health Minister.

Participants
at the conference also called for more cooperation among countries in
preventing diabetes in order to reduce the cost burden on patients and
countries’ welfare systems.

According
to the World Health Organisation’s statistics, an estimated 8.5 percent of
adults in the world, or 422 million people, live with diabetes. –VNA