Vietnam named among countries with high hepatitis rate
- Japan and Vietnam cooperate in improving health insurance system
- Public Security Forces’ doctors provide free health checkups for locals in Kien Giang
- Health Minister requests promptly clarifying medical incident’s cause
- Health minister claims unsafe food not major cause for cancer
The above information was revealed by Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Viet Tien at a meeting in response to the World Hepatitis Day on July 28, in Hanoi, held by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to Deputy Minister Tien, Vietnam has about 8.7 million people infected with chronic hepatitis B and 1 million people with hepatitis C, nearly 40 times more than the number of HIV people.
 |
| Associate Professor, Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue - Director of the Medical Examination and Treatment Management Department speaking at the event. |
Meanwhile, the number of people suffering cirrhosis, liver cancer and death from hepatitis B and hepatitis C is expected to further increase in the coming years, which will also require a burden of medical care, examination and treatment.
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Luong Ngoc Khue - Director of the Medical Examination and Treatment Management Department, while the vaccine to prevent and medicines to treat hepatitis B have been widely used, there have been no vaccine for hepatitis C. But the treatment of hepatitis C has gained great progress, as more than 90% of people infected with hepatitis C could be cured within 3 to 6 months.
According to the Ministry of Health’s representatives, the health sector and related agencies have been working hard to prevent the spread of hepatitis B and C and to develop policies to reduce the cost of treatment for people with hepatitis B and C, especially for people with hepatitis C. The treatment will help prevent the unpredictable development of hepatitis, and also reduce the rates of cirrhosis, liver cancer and death.
On the occasion of World Hepatitis Day, the Ministry of Health calls on all people to protect themselves and their families from hepatitis by having their children fully vaccinated on time, and go to the hospital to get early treatment as soon as they are infected.
Besides, the Ministry of Health also asked all doctors to provide safe services for patients, avoiding infection during the course of medical examination and treatment.
