Vietnam - France medical cooperation enters a new stage of development

On October 31, the Vietnam - France Friendship and Cooperation Association in collaboration with the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations and Hanoi Medical University organized a seminar "Vietnam - France Medical Cooperation: Towards more effective connection in partnership and friendship for public health".

This is the opening activity within the framework of the 2025 France-Vietnam Health Conference, and is also an opportunity for direct policy dialogue between Vietnamese state management agencies and French experts.

Overview of the discussion.

The seminar took place in the context of Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW of the Politburo on “Some breakthrough solutions to strengthen the protection, care and improvement of people's health” being vigorously implemented. This is an important occasion for the two sides to determine new cooperation directions, including promoting the signing of the Vietnam - France Health Cooperation Agreement, contributing to building a modern, equitable, effective and internationally integrated Vietnamese health system.

Leaders and experts of the two countries highly appreciated the results of cooperation in the health sector, one of the most traditional and effective pillars in the Vietnam-France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Medical cooperation between the two countries is not only professional and technical but also demonstrates the spirit of humanity, solidarity and creativity. The cooperation network is increasingly expanding, connecting many hospitals, universities and research institutes, with diverse forms such as human resource training, joint research, technology transfer, vaccine cooperation, pharmaceuticals, digital health, surgical robots and the application of artificial intelligence in medicine.

There are currently nearly 100 direct cooperation partnerships between medical and training establishments of the two countries. In particular, the Franco-Vietnamese Medical Association plays an important role in coordinating, connecting and promoting cooperation, and co-organizing five Franco-Vietnamese Medical Conferences, two of which took place at Hanoi Medical University.

Future cooperation directions focus on training high-quality medical human resources, technology transfer, vaccine cooperation, pharmaceuticals, preventive medicine, public health care and digital health development.

Speaking at the seminar, comrade Nguyen Thuy Anh emphasized: “If Vietnam-France medical cooperation is a precious legacy of history, today that relationship has become deeper, more diverse and more vibrant than ever, thanks to the connection between hospitals, research institutes, universities and medical teams of the two countries, nurtured by friendship, trust and a spirit of sharing.”

The discussion took place at a time when the two countries are preparing to extend the Health Cooperation Framework Agreement, aiming to shape a long-term strategy for joint projects. Along with that, Resolution 72-NQ/TW sets out many major goals on public health development, hospital system modernization and human resource training, requiring close coordination between Vietnam and its partners, of which France is one of the key partners.

Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan spoke at the seminar.

Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan said that Vietnam-France medical cooperation has developed strongly since the 1990s, especially in training resident physicians, technology transfer, scientific research and hospital support. Many generations of Vietnamese doctors who studied in France have now become leading experts, playing a key role in the Vietnamese health system. Every year, dozens of French doctors and hundreds of students come to Vietnam to work and practice.

France is currently one of Vietnam’s most active partners in the fields of public health, disease prevention, pharmaceutical and medical equipment development. Many cooperation models between research institutes, universities and hospitals of the two countries have become successful models, contributing to strengthening trust and expanding cooperation in medical human resources.

According to Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan, from the perspective of developing a sustainable health system, Vietnam and France still have a lot of potential for cooperation, especially in the fields of human resource training, scientific research, technology transfer, precision medicine, public health and innovation.

In training, Vietnam is promoting the standardization and internationalization of training programs for doctors, pharmacists, nurses and public health officials, linked to practical capacity and output standards.

In the field of research, the two sides can jointly develop projects applying biotechnology, preventive medicine, artificial intelligence and precision medicine. In public health, cooperation on non-communicable disease prevention, emergency medical response and climate change adaptation is considered a practical and long-term direction.

Particularly in the fields of pharmaceuticals, vaccines and medical equipment, Vietnam wishes to expand investment, transfer technology and form research and development centers located in Vietnam, contributing to enhancing the industry's self-reliance capacity.

Currently, the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and the French Ministry of Public Health are promoting the signing of a bilateral health cooperation agreement. The draft is being reviewed by relevant ministries and sectors before being submitted to the Prime Minister for approval. The Vietnamese Ministry of Health affirms that it will create all favorable conditions for Vietnam-France health cooperation to become increasingly effective, practical and sustainable, towards the common goal of protecting, caring for and improving people's health.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/hop-tac-y-te-viet-nam---phap-buoc-vao-giai-doan-phat-trien-moi-d426011.html