Ambassador suggests stronger Vietnam – France health cooperation

An elderly receives care at a medical establishment of Vietnam. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet has suggested the two countries enhance ties in medical research, saying health care is among outstanding pillars of bilateral cooperation.

He made the remarks while addressing a workshop held in Hà Nội on January 22 to discuss how to improve the management of chronic diseases in Vietnam.

Brochet said chronic diseases are among global concerns, and the two countries should work together to seek long-term solutions to this issue.

Amid economic development, people’s improved living conditions and better health services, new health challenges have also emerged. Such chronic diseases as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and respiratory illnesses have been on the rise, requiring France and Việt Nam further boost cooperation in this field since the health problems strongly affect people’s life, he went on.

Describing health care as one of outstanding pillars of bilateral cooperation, the ambassador elaborated that more than 3,000 Vietnamese doctors have received training in France while many joint research projects have been carried out.

He considered the workshop, held by the French Embassy, the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Việt Nam and Vietnam Social Security (VSS), as a demonstration of the common determination to further strengthen ties in health care, including sharing experience in and devising better policies on the prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of chronic diseases.

The diplomat called on the two sides to reinforce partnerships in researching new pharmaceuticals, therapies, and treatment approaches, adding that his embassy will assist French businesses to bolster ties with partners in Vietnam.

In his speech, VSS Deputy General Director Nguyễn Đức Hòa noted the Vietnamese Government has increased investment in grassroots health care, including the prevention, management, and treatment of non-communicable diseases.

The health insurance coverage has been expanded, from 47 per cent of the population in 2008 to 93.35 per cent in 2023, towards the goal of full coverage. The health insurance fund has an increasingly important role to play in healthcare spending, he said.

However, the official also pointed out certain challenges, including unchanged levels of insurance premiums since 2009, continually increased benefits for insurance contributors, rising expenses of insurance-covered medical services, fast population aging, growing non-communicable diseases, and mounting costs for chronic disease treatment.

Given this, learning international experience in building health insurance policies is always a priority of VSS, Hòa added.

At the workshop, participants shared other countries’ experience in chronic disease management. They also suggested policies on the management of those diseases and the health insurance fund.  VNS