Vietnam is facing another dangerous pandemic after Covid-19

On June 27, according to information at the 2nd Vietnam - Japan International Scientific Conference on Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases organized by Bach Mai Hospital, currently, the world in general and Vietnam in particular are facing a burden of disease and high mortality rate due to the increase in non-communicable diseases. Public health is increasingly threatened by the increasing incidence with many serious consequences and sequelae.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death, followed by cancer. Currently, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is one of the dangerous non-communicable diseases with the fourth highest mortality rate in the world. Most forecasts show that in the near future, the mortality rate due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will continue to increase and will be the third leading cause of death.

Sharing on the sidelines of the workshop, Mr. Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, Ministry of Health, said that according to the World Health Organization, after the Covid-19 pandemic, we will face a pandemic of non-communicable diseases. Therefore, in addition to preventing emerging infectious diseases such as Covid-19 and Ebola, countries need to focus on preventing and treating non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and mental illness. In addition, our country also has an additional disease, which is trauma due to accidents.

Caring for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at Bach Mai Hospital

According to Mr. Khue, hospital reports show that 65-75% of inpatients suffer from non-communicable diseases. Hospitals, cancer treatment departments, respiratory and cardiovascular departments are all overloaded. Mental health is also a huge challenge.

According to statistics from the Central Endocrinology Hospital (Hanoi), about 6-7% of the population has diabetes. According to the Vietnam National Heart Institute, the silent killer is high blood pressure, which accounts for 25% of people over 25 years old. All non-communicable diseases are increasing rapidly. Mr. Khue said that the worrying thing is that only 1/3 of patients with the disease are detected and treated.

In addition, Vietnam is a country that consumes a lot of alcohol, which increases accidents, strokes, and heart attacks. High smoking rates are also a factor in many diseases, from cancer to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiovascular disease.

To contribute to the prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases, Bach Mai Hospital has cooperated with Japan through many programs and projects. One of the first major cooperation projects funded by the Japanese government is the “Upgrading Bach Mai Hospital” Project to support the hospital in improving the quality of infrastructure, technology and medical equipment. In addition, a number of Bach Mai Hospital staff have been trained in Japan on management and operation of technology and equipment.

According to Vietnamnet