Health Ministry proposes new law on disease prevention

According to a MoH report, diseases such as cardiovascular issues and diabetes are on the rise, a problem putting significant strain on the healthcare system and people’s lives.

Statistics indicate that about 50.3% of the population aged 40 to 69 are at high risk, with a greater than 20% chance of experiencing cardiovascular illnesses such as a stroke or heart attack in the next decade, and only 40.8% of these individuals are advised and treated to prevent these diseases.

Nearly one-fifth of the population, 19.5%, is overweight, with 2.1% being obese. The rate of overweight and obesity in adults aged 19 to 65 increased from 12% in 2010 to 19.6% in 2020. Around 44.1% of adults have high total cholesterol levels or take medication for cholesterol management.

The main causes are environmental factors, job stress, lifestyle choices such as lack of physical activity or poor diet, and excessive consumption of meat and fried foods, says Assoc. Pro. Dr. Nguyen Sinh Hien, president of the Hanoi Cardiovascular Association and director of Hanoi Heart Hospital.

As living conditions continue to improve, more health issues arise, with disease and death occurring among younger people, particularly due to non-communicable diseases. At Hanoi Heart Hospital, the number of cardiovascular disease cases is increasing by an average of 10% to 20% annually.

Each year sees Vietnam record approximately 200,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease. “Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the world, more than cancer. In Vietnam, about 25% of adults have cardiovascular disease, with many emergency cases of heart attacks occurring in individuals under 40,” says the health professional.

Not only cardiovascular diseases, but diabetes is also being referred to as an ‘epidemic’ with rapidly increasing rates. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Hung, deputy director of the Hanoi Health Department, states that in Hanoi alone, around 500,000 people live with diabetes, whilst 1.5 million have prediabetes. Alarmingly, only 50% of these individuals are diagnosed and treated, with only 30% receiving quality treatment. As a result, 50% of diabetic patients, when detected, are already suffering from cardiovascular complications.

Currently, Vietnam only has the Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, without legal frameworks to manage other issues such as environmental health, particularly non-communicable diseases, mental health, and nutrition.

According to Assoc. Prof. and Dr. Tran Dac Phu, former director of the Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health, to prevent diseases the first step must be to address risk factors related to the environment and society, followed by the prevention of infectious and non-communicable diseases.

The alarming figures regarding non-communicable diseases pose significant challenges to the Vietnamese economy and society in general, demanding the urgent need for a law on disease prevention to cover all aspects related to health and disease.

“We have already enforced the Medical Examination and Treatment Law, so we also need the Disease Prevention Law to balance things out. As the old saying goes, ‘prevention is better than cure,’ so we can ensure people live longer and healthier,” says Assoc. Prof. and Dr. Phu.

In such a context, the MoH has proposed drafting the Disease Prevention Law to overcome the limitations of the current Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases. The new law aims to comprehensively manage public health, address previously neglected issues, and improve the overall quality of life and average life expectancy of the population.