"Hypertension and diabetes are the two most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and they are also the most common non-communicable diseases in Vietnam and globally," stated Professor, Doctor Huynh Van Minh, President of the Vietnam National Heart Association. He spoke at the signing ceremony for the Program to Enhance Awareness and Capacity in Communication, Treatment, and Management of Hypertension and Diabetes in Vietnam, giai doan 2026–2030. The agreement, signed on 3/7 at the Ministry of Health, involved the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Administration and its partners.
Under this agreement, the health sector aims to have over 50% of individuals with these two diseases receiving treatment to achieve control targets by 2030. To realize this roadmap, the program focuses on standardizing professional expertise, training grassroots healthcare personnel, and boosting community communication for early disease detection. This will help manage health across the life course and strengthen grassroots healthcare capacity, as emphasized by Nguyen Trong Khoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Administration.
Survey data from giai doan 2017-2023, covering 67,000 adults, reveals an alarming picture of non-communicable diseases. Currently, over 30% of Vietnamese adults suffer from hypertension, but nearly 50% of them have only recently been diagnosed, and 11,3% have never accessed treatment.
Notably, even among those receiving treatment, over half have not yet controlled their blood pressure to a safe level. Professor Minh describes hypertension as a "silent killer" because its symptoms are often unclear, but it causes dangerous complications for the brain, heart, eyes, and blood vessels.
Similarly, diabetes is becoming a serious public health issue, with cases increasing three times since 2000. Professor, Doctor Tran Huu Dang, President of the Vietnam Association of Diabetes and Endocrinology, stated that among the 7 million people with the disease, up to 62% are unaware of their condition. The lack of timely diagnosis leads to complications like kidney failure, nerve damage, and cardiovascular diseases silently harming the body.
Healthcare costs for this disease have also increased three times over the past 15 years, correlating with rising obesity rates, sedentary lifestyles, and high-energy food consumption habits.
Instead of solely focusing on central hospitals, the new cooperation program will prioritize continuous training for doctors and nurses at the primary healthcare level.
Early detection not only reduces the financial burden on families and individuals but also directly alleviates pressure on the healthcare system, especially as non-communicable diseases are a leading cause of death.
Le Nga
