Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Xuyen said that the Asia Pacific Association of Medical Toxicology (APAMT) was established in 1989 with the aim of promoting the safe use of chemicals and cooperation in improving treatment of poisoning.

The three-day congress will focus on pesticide poisoning, poisoning from unsupervised drug use, poisoning management measures and toxin tests.

Founded in 2003, the Poisoning Control Centre of Bach Mai Hospital has provided treatment to 1,700-1,800 patients annually and the death rate of poisoning has been decreased from 8.5 percent in 1998 to 1.7 percent in 2009.