Việt Nam highly values WHO’s close technical partnership: official

Việt Nam is proud of all the health achievements obtained with support from WHO during the pandemic and over the past years, and hopes to continue this partnership.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyễn Thị Liên Hương affirmed Việt Nam's appreciation of the World Health Organization (WHO)’s close technical partnership with its Government, while attending the 76th World Health Assembly (WHA76) in Geneva on Tuesday (local time).

In her remarks, Hương said the WHA76 coincides with many important milestones of the World Health Organization (WHO), including its 75th founding anniversary.

Việt Nam has obtained a number of major healthcare achievements, including the average life expectancy raised to over 75. It has also been pressing on with reforming the health sector to meet medical demand in the future, especially amid fast socio-economic development and after the COVID-19 pandemic, she noted.

Mentioning WHO’s recent declaration of the end to the COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern, the Deputy Minister said Việt Nam quickly carried out a large-scale vaccination campaign in 2021 and 2022 and has ensured vaccine access nationwide.

She cited statistics as showing that the country has reached an average of 273.7 administered doses of COVID-19 vaccines every 100 people, 1.6 times the global average of 170.1 and also higher than most developed nations. The rate of people fully vaccinated with primary doses is 1.4 times while the rate of those given booster doses doubles the world’s respective averages.

Thanks to these efforts, since the beginning of 2022, Việt Nam has shifted to a period of sustainable management of the pandemic, which means balancing socio-economic development and public health measures to protect vulnerable groups and the healthcare system, Hương went on.

Highlighting WHO’s close technical partnership with the Vietnamese Government, the official added the country is proud of all the health achievements obtained with support from WHO during the pandemic and over the past years, and hopes to continue this partnership.