VietNamNet Bridge - Health minister Nguyen Quoc Trieu has called on departments of health in 31 Northern provinces and cities to hold a debate on preventive medicines in the wake of dramatic increases in transmitted diseases.

The Health Ministry recently reported on the recurrence of several transmitted diseases among 30 deadly diseases such as HIV/AIDS, A/H5N1 and A/H1N1 flu, due to climate change and environmental pollution in Vietnam. Some 27 percent of all diseases are transmitted by viruses, which has a serious impact on the nation’s socio-economic development.

Minister Trieu said on November 24 that discussions should focus on medicines in schools, the dangers of smoking, child injuries and the difference in the quality of healthcare services between regions.

He also emphasized the need to strengthen supervision and control of epidemics in an effort to curb the spread of transmitted diseases, which threaten not only Vietnam, but also other parts of the world.

Despite huge investments in preventive medicines, which have all but eliminated several transmitted diseases, the problem continues to develop in a complex fashion, admitted the minister. Preventive medicines cost up to 30 percent of the annual budget that the State allocates to the entire health sector.

The outbreak of SARS alone in 2003 for example, caused losses equivalent to five percent of Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Meanwhile, deputy minister of health Nguyen Thi Xuyen said Vietnam’s healthcare policy always gives priority to mountainous areas and regions inhabited by ethnic minority people. She said that the key is to improve medical services in both quantity and quality through incentives to encourage and keep medical workers in those areas.

PV 

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