VietNamNet Bridge – Diabetes in Vietnam is becoming increasingly common and is on the rise nationwide, especially in the metropolitan and areas surrounding industrial zones.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen made the statement while attending a seminar in Hanoi on May 29 jointly organised by the Health Ministry and the Danish Embassy in Vietnam.

The event drew participation of leading medical experts and managers in Vietnam and abroad who shared their perspectives and experiences in preventing and treating the life-threatening disease.

Deputy Minister of Health Xuyen pointed out that diabetes is also on the rise in countries around the globe and poses a great challenge to the global healthcare and national development in the 21st century.

Vietnam is among the low middle-income countries, likely to face negative impact of this dangerous disease, she said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Diabetes Federation, Vietnam is one of the countries having the highest diabetes growth rate on the world.

Danish ambassador to Vietnam John Nielsen highly valued Vietnam’s active role in preventing and dealing with diabetes which affected nearly 5 million Vietnamese people.

Other delegates proposed measures to improve healthcare services for people living with diabetes and provided updated information on the chronic disease in Vietnam and the world.

The WHO reported that by November 2013, about 382 million people were infected by diabetes that is said to be among six leading reasons for fatality. The disease is also one of the two main causes of adult blindness.

Measles still a threat, Vietnam health officials warn

Official statistics of the Health Ministry show that since the beginning of the year, 4,857 measles cases have been reported, 76.5% of them children under the age of 10.

The figures were unveiled at a press conference on May 29 by the Health Ministry. The Ministry pointed out that although the number of measles patients is subsiding, the epidemic is complicated and unpredictable, showing no signs of going away at this time.

It is essential to pay proper attention to providing measles vaccination for children under two years old who have not yet received two doses guarding against the deadly virus, the ministry said.

By May 27, the measles vaccination ratio in Vietnam hit 96.1% on average. The Health Ministry plans to launch a vaccination campaign against measles and rubella for children between 1 to 14 years old this August.

In addition, the Ministry asked localities nationwide to take preventive measures to deal with infectious diseases, such as dengue fever, hand-foot-mouth, Mers-CoV, and avian influenza.

Dr. Truong Dinh Bac, Deputy Head of the Health Ministry’s Preventive Medicine Department, advised people to implement sanitation measures to reduce the number of dengue fever patients during the coming rainy season.

Source: VOV