Two laws on population and disease prevention were passed, expanding the foundation of universal health care.

(Chinhphu.vn) - On the morning of December 10, continuing the working program of the 10th Session, the National Assembly voted to pass two important draft laws in the health sector: the Population Law and the Disease Prevention Law. This is considered a major step forward in perfecting the legal framework, meeting urgent requirements for population policy transformation and improving disease prevention capacity in the new context.

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan briefly presented some contents of acceptance and explanation of the two draft laws.

Comprehensively perfecting population policy in the new period

Regarding the Population Law, before the National Assembly proceeded with the vote, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan presented a summary of some key contents that had been incorporated and revised by the drafting agency.

Firstly, regarding the scope of regulation, the draft has reviewed and supplemented the explanation of terms and focused on the following contents: Maintaining the replacement fertility rate; minimizing gender imbalance at birth; adapting to population aging and aging population; improving population quality; communication, mobilization, and education about population; conditions to ensure the implementation of population work.

Second, regarding the proposal to adjust the State's population policy, the Government has accepted and completed the draft, supplementing Article 7 regulating the State's population policy. The contents of this article are regulations of general principles and orientations, reflecting the overall and macro-level policy groups of population work, closely following the guidelines and policies of the Party and State.

Furthermore, the draft also stipulates maintaining replacement fertility levels, adapting to population aging, improving population quality, and adopting a life-cycle approach; ensuring long-term, fundamental, and feasible measures based on practical assessments and selected international experiences.

Third, regarding the policy of maintaining replacement fertility, the draft law has supplemented the provisions in Clause 4, Article 7 towards building a comprehensive policy orientation framework, including: Education, health care, housing and other policies to increase the birth rate to achieve sustainable replacement fertility.

Support for extended maternity leave and financial assistance during childbirth is categorized by target group and locality; priority is given to renting-to-own and lease-to-own social housing as stipulated by housing laws.

Fourth, regarding policies related to adapting to population aging, the draft law has revised and supplemented regulations on proactively preparing for old age, including: preparation in terms of health, finances, and psychology; participation in social insurance and health insurance; participation in learning and improving knowledge and skills to maintain physical and mental health and social functioning; and participation in activities supporting the care of the elderly.

The draft law also includes provisions on elderly care, developing diverse forms of care at home and in the community; developing human resources for elderly care based on the separation of formal and informal care groups, and building a mechanism to support training in caregiving skills suitable for each group.

In addition, other specific contents have also been considered, explained, and revised by the Government in the draft Law on Population submitted to the National Assembly.

After hearing the Government's report on the amendments and explanations, the National Assembly voted to pass the Population Law with 450 delegates participating (95.14%), of which 448 delegates (94.71%) voted in favor.

Thus, the Population Law was officially passed with high consensus from the National Assembly. The promulgation of the Population Law is expected to contribute to raising the effectiveness of the 2003 Population Ordinance to a new level, creating a solid legal foundation for national population policy in the new development phase, as Vietnam simultaneously faces low birth rates, rapid population aging, and the need to improve the quality of its human resources.

The National Assembly proceeded to vote on and pass the Law on Disease Prevention.

Strengthening preventive healthcare capacity and expanding people's rights.

Regarding the Law on Disease Prevention, the National Assembly also voted to pass the Law on Disease Prevention , with 440 out of 443 delegates voting in favor (93.02%) . The law consists of 6 chapters and 46 articles and will come into effect on July 1, 2026.

Before proceeding to the vote, the National Assembly heard Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan present a summary report on the major points of acceptance and explanation regarding the draft Law on Disease Prevention.

Accordingly, regarding the issue of regular health check-ups and free screenings, in order to ensure funding and feasibility for implementing this policy, the Government has finalized regulations on diversifying funding sources, including state budget, social contributions, and especially from the Health Insurance Fund.

At the same time, Article 44 of the draft Law amending and supplementing the Health Insurance Law stipulates that citizens are entitled to have their costs for periodic health check-ups and screenings covered by the Health Insurance Fund free of charge, according to the roadmap and the financial capacity of the Health Insurance Fund.

Minister Dao Hong Lan emphasized that this is an important breakthrough in institutionalizing Resolution No. 20 and Resolution No. 72 that have been issued.

Regarding the content related to regulations on professional policies, the draft Law has incorporated and revised the chapters and articles regulating the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, the prevention and control of mental disorders, and nutrition in disease prevention, ensuring risk management, screening, early detection of diseases, and timely and appropriate preventive and treatment measures, including provisions prioritizing vulnerable groups and disadvantaged areas.

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan stated that the draft law has also finalized regulations related to the prevention and control of infectious diseases, based on feedback from delegates and ensuring that, given the new situation, the implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures in the past has been reflected in the draft law, addressing obstacles and difficulties.

Regarding the Disease Prevention Fund, the Government has revised the draft Law to separate the Fund's purpose and tasks into two distinct sections to ensure clarity. At the same time, the draft Law has added a spending task for the Fund for free periodic health check-ups or screenings to align with the provisions of Article 27, thereby ensuring additional resources for implementing this important policy.

The simultaneous passage of two important laws by the National Assembly in the same session demonstrates the State's deep concern for public health, sustainable population development, and the improvement of preventive health services. The Population Law and the Law on Disease Prevention are expected to bring about significant changes in population management, enhance the ability to respond to public health challenges, and contribute to protecting, caring for, and improving the health of the entire population in the new era.

Thu Giang

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/hai-dao-luat-ve-dan-so-va-phong-benh-duoc-thong-qua-mo-rong-nen-tang-cham-soc-suc-khoe-toan-dan-102251210114803299.htm