Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Nguyen Tri Thuc has highlighted the success of the salt reduction and hypertension management programs in Vietnam, supported by the Resolve to Save Lives initiative through the World Health Organization (WHO), during a meeting with the WHO delegation and Resolve to Save Lives on July 17.
The Health Ministry aims to expand the program's scale and scope to enhance the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in Vietnam, Dr. Thuc added.
The WHO and Resolve to Save Lives proposed continued support for Vietnam over the next two years (2025-2026). Their plan includes improving the quality of prevention and management of hypertension and other non-communicable diseases at the primary healthcare level, focusing on updating treatment protocols and related guidelines.
They also aim to enhance the capacity of local units in disease prevention, screening, and treatment management, support the development of a non-communicable disease information management system, and improve information management software to ensure connectivity and interoperability across different healthcare levels.
They proposed expanding the hypertension management program from the current 52 provinces and cities to nationwide coverage.
Since 2018, through WHO, Resolve to Save Lives has provided approximately $3 million to support national communication campaigns on salt reduction, develop regulations for nutritional labeling on packaged foods, create recommendations for maximum salt levels in certain packaged foods, and assist provinces in managing hypertension and diabetes at commune health stations.
As of April 2024, over 4,500 health stations in 52 provinces have received support to implement hypertension management using a public health approach.
(Suc Khoe Doi Song [1])