"For a Healthy Lung" agreement signed

The Department of Management of Medical Examination and Treatment under the Ministry of Health and the British – Swedish biopharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) of the programme "For a Healthy Lung" in Vietnam period 2017 - 2020 on October 18.

Deputy Ministry of Health Nguyen Viet Tien and Vice President in charge of Asia region of AstraZeneca attended the meeting.

The programme "For a Healthy Lung" in Vietnam period 2017 - 2020 aims at improving the asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease management and raising community's awareness of these diseases. 

At the event, AstraZeneca gave their commitment to invest US$1 million to build 150 outpatient clinics in service of the programme.

"Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will be the third cause of death in the world in 2010, surpassing the rate of HIV/AIDS and lung cancer", according to information of Director of Department of Management of Medical Examination and Treatment Luong Ngoc Khue.

In addition, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in particular, and respiratory diseases in general, have not been paid proper attention in Vietnam. Asthma in Vietnam accounts for 4.1% of the population, but only 29.1% of asthma patients receive regular treatment.