The Law on Disease Prevention, once passed, provides a crucial foundation for Vietnam's "Vaccinate for All" strategy to protect its people.
Preventing diseases and providing healthcare through primary healthcare.
Mr. Tran Dac Phu, former Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine (now the Department of Disease Prevention, Ministry of Health ), said that the new Law on Disease Prevention has filled the legal gap in addressing emerging issues such as non-communicable diseases, mental health, nutrition, and lifelong healthcare.
"The biggest step forward is that the law covers both infectious and non-infectious diseases, and connects environmental factors, food safety, and occupational health with existing regulations in other specialized laws," Mr. Phu said.
According to this expert, by focusing on early and remote disease prevention, the Law has realized universal healthcare throughout the life cycle, continuously from pregnancy and childbirth to adulthood. People will receive regular health check-ups, early detection of chronic diseases, full vaccinations, and monitoring of risk factors… “These are core measures to reduce morbidity, hospitalization, and mortality, thereby reducing the burden on the healthcare system and society,” Mr. Phu said.
Dr. Duong Chi Nam, Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Prevention, Ministry of Health, shared that incorporating proactive immunization campaigns into the Law on Disease Prevention is a way to enhance proactive disease prevention in the community and fill the immunity gap caused by insufficient annual immunization coverage.
“For example, with measles, the health sector is currently striving to raise the vaccination rate back to the target set in Resolution 12, which is over 95% for all vaccines. Once this is achieved, combined with proactive vaccination campaigns, we will address the risk of measles outbreaks. Besides measles, many other diseases can also be eliminated if we maintain vaccination rates above 95% and strengthen vaccination campaigns. However, any specific assessment needs to be based on professional data,” Mr. Nam said.
Dr. Duong Chi Nam, Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Prevention, Ministry of Health.
The Law on Disease Prevention 2025, recently passed by the National Assembly , includes a new provision: disease prevention using vaccines and medical biological products. Mr. Tran Dac Phu stated that while previously the concept of immunization only referred to vaccination, the new regulation will encompass both vaccination and the administration of medical biological products for disease prevention (for example, monoclonal antibodies against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)). Without this new regulation, medical biological products would only be administered at treatment facilities.
According to these new regulations, mandatory vaccination through the expanded immunization program includes not only routine vaccinations, but also catch-up vaccinations and proactive vaccination campaigns.
Proactive vaccination campaigns involve administering vaccines even when there is a risk of an outbreak, not just when an outbreak occurs. This is essential because this regulation allows authorities to purchase vaccines and biological products for vaccination even when there is no outbreak.
Currently, vaccines are available worldwide and in Vietnam to prevent nearly 30 infectious diseases. People need to get vaccinated through both the expanded immunization program and private vaccination services, and should receive vaccinations throughout their lives.
Recently, the health education and communication program on disease prevention using vaccines and biological products for the period 2025-2027, themed "Vaccination for Everyone," implemented by the Department of Disease Prevention (Ministry of Health) in collaboration with Sanofi Aventis Vietnam, marked a pioneering and important step in bringing preventive health policies into the practical lives of the people.
The program aims to further consolidate the immunization achievements of the past years, to help Vietnamese people increase access to proactive disease prevention vaccines, and to expand the range of target groups and age ranges eligible for vaccines and biological products, build a disease prevention culture in the community, and widely disseminate the mindset of "Early disease prevention - Lifelong protection".
Another noteworthy point is that the new law not only focuses on the prevention and control of infectious diseases but also extends to other types of diseases such as cancer, mental health disorders, and nutritional deficiencies. This reflects a shift in the government's perspective on disease prevention.
In addition, the law also pays great attention to vulnerable groups such as the poor, the near-poor, those living in remote areas, and those at high risk. These groups often face many barriers in accessing healthcare services and are more likely to suffer severe consequences if they do not receive adequate preventive care.
Thus, instead of focusing solely on controlling infectious diseases as before, the Law on Disease Prevention aims for a mindset of "prevention as the central focus, treatment as a supporting factor," institutionalizing policies to protect the health of the entire population and reduce the burden of disease.
Increase the budget for preventive healthcare.
According to Mr. Nam, one of the important points of the Law on Disease Prevention is the provision to increase the budget for the preventive health sector, including raising salaries for health workers. This will create opportunities to strengthen and develop the preventive health system to prevent diseases early and proactively for the people.
However, since the Law needs to be institutionalized through Decrees, Circulars, and guiding documents, the Ministry of Health must finalize a series of documents to submit to the Government by July.
Sharing this view, Mr. Tran Dac Phu also stated that the State's guarantee of funding for disease prevention, instead of leaving preventive units to face difficulties under the previous self-financing mechanism, is a breakthrough. The new law stipulates that the Fund for Disease Prevention will create a more stable, proactive, and flexible resource when responding to disease outbreaks or implementing large-scale prevention programs.
“The Law on Disease Prevention is a crucial foundation for Vietnam to strongly shift towards a modern healthcare model that prioritizes prevention and primary healthcare. If implemented effectively, the law will help people become healthier, get sick less often, reduce the burden on the hospital system, and lessen the economic burden on society. This is a truly necessary law with long-term significance,” Mr. Phu affirmed.
The Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Prevention also emphasized that, in order to effectively implement the new policies, it is necessary to strengthen communication to raise public awareness. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the epidemiological surveillance system and update information on emerging and re-emerging diseases both domestically and internationally.
Given the aging population, the increase in non-communicable diseases, and the need for comprehensive healthcare, the Law on Disease Prevention, passed as a crucial foundation for Vietnam's "Vaccination for All" strategy, protects the Vietnamese people.
THIEN LAM
Source: https://nhandan.vn/bao-ve-nguoi-dan-tu-co-so-cong-bang-trong-tiep-can-y-te-post930844.html
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