Law on Disease Prevention: Reducing the huge economic burden caused by disease

The draft Law on Disease Prevention is being presented at the National Assembly Session for discussion and approval.

The Law on Disease Prevention was built on the basis of inheriting 5 articles and amending 39 relevant articles of the 2007 Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, contributing to overcoming difficulties and obstacles, especially in epidemic prevention and control, meeting practical requirements for prevention and control of infectious diseases in the new situation.

Shift from treatment to proactive disease prevention

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said that through reviewing the legal system of Vietnam, the Ministry of Health found that there are 63 Laws with regulations related to the field of disease prevention and health promotion. These regulations are presented in three main groups including: Group of regulations directly related to the medical field; Group of regulations related to health care content; Group of factors affecting health. To institutionalize the regulations of disease prevention according to the Party's viewpoint issued in Resolution 20 and Resolution 72 of the Politburo, the Law on Disease Prevention project emphasizes the focus on shifting the mindset from treatment to proactive disease prevention, taking people as the center and lifelong disease prevention, early and remote disease prevention.

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan explained and clarified a number of issues raised by National Assembly deputies. (Photo: Doan Tan/VNA)

The focus of the Law on Disease Prevention is: "Shifting from treatment to proactive disease prevention, taking people as the center, lifelong disease prevention, early and remote disease prevention"

The Minister of Health said that the focus of the Law on Disease Prevention is: "Shifting from treatment to proactive disease prevention, focusing on people, lifelong disease prevention, early and remote disease prevention". During the process of drafting the Law, the Government focused on the scope of regulation with the key contents of the Law project, including: prevention and control of infectious diseases; prevention and control of non-communicable diseases; mental health disorders; other risk factors; nutrition in disease prevention; and conditions to ensure disease prevention.

Mr. Pham Duc Manh - Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Prevention (Ministry of Health) affirmed that in the context that the country is still facing the double burden of both infectious diseases and the alarming increase of non-communicable diseases and mental health disorders as well as improper nutrition leading to limited physical development and stature of Vietnamese people, the conditions to ensure disease prevention work are still limited... the development and promulgation of the Law on Disease Prevention with a comprehensive scope of regulation on disease prevention is extremely necessary.

The Law on Disease Prevention will fully and comprehensively institutionalize the Party and State's guidelines and policies on disease prevention, which are affirmed in the Constitution: "Everyone has the right to health protection and care, equality in the use of medical services and the obligation to comply with regulations on disease prevention, medical examination and treatment." Especially Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW dated September 9, 2025 of the Politburo on a number of breakthrough solutions to strengthen the protection, care and improvement of people's health and Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW dated October 25, 2017 of the Sixth Conference of the 12th Party Central Committee on strengthening the protection, care and improvement of people's health in the new situation.

Investing for sustainable development

The Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Prevention said that the Draft Law on Disease Prevention consists of 6 chapters and 41 articles, based on five major policies approved by the Government, including prevention and control of infectious diseases, prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, prevention and control of mental health disorders, nutrition in disease prevention and conditions to ensure disease prevention.

The Law on Disease Prevention will replace the Law on Prevention of Infectious Diseases when it comes into effect, inheriting five articles and amending 39 articles of the 2007 Law, overcoming difficulties in preventing and fighting the COVID-19 epidemic. The basic contents of the draft law include two main groups. The first group is to amend and perfect the Law on Prevention of Infectious Diseases. The second group is new additions compared to current regulations.

Mr. Pham Duc Manh - Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Prevention (Ministry of Health). (Photo: TM/Vietnam+)

Firstly, with the group of contents to amend and complete the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases: The Draft Law has clearly stipulated the method of classifying infectious diseases and epidemics and eliminating and eliminating some circulating infectious diseases. At the same time, it stipulates measures to prevent and control infectious diseases and epidemics (such as monitoring infectious diseases; medical isolation; medical quarantine; ensuring safety and biosecurity in testing; vaccines, biological products and vaccinations...).

The Draft Law has added other measures as prescribed by law on state of emergency and civil defense when the epidemic exceeds the capacity and conditions to respond and overcome the consequences; rights and obligations of agencies, organizations and individuals.

Second, with a group of new additional contents compared to current regulations: The draft Law has focused on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, regulating disease prevention and control measures, risk factors; early detection, disease prevention and disease management in the community. In particular, the draft Law on Disease Prevention adds regulations on periodic health check-ups and screening to institutionalize Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW of the Politburo: "People are entitled to periodic health check-ups or free screening at least once a year from 2026".

In addition, the draft also adds regulations on the prevention and control of mental health disorders, considering mental health an inseparable part of comprehensive health; clearly defining the responsibilities of agencies and organizations in detecting, managing and preventing mental disorders early in the community.

The draft supplements regulations on the prevention and control of mental health disorders, considering mental health an inseparable part of comprehensive health.

Regarding nutrition in disease prevention, the Law defines this as a lifelong content, with special attention paid to the first 1,000 days of life from pregnancy to children under 24 months old, the golden period that determines children's physical strength and stature.

The draft also clearly stipulates the conditions for ensuring disease prevention work, emphasizing research, application of science, technology, innovation and digital transformation in disease prevention; training human resources; ensuring funding, as well as establishing a Disease Prevention Fund, creating a sustainable financial source for this work.

“Investing in disease prevention is investing in sustainable development, the “smartest investment” to reduce the huge economic burden caused by disease. With that meaning, the Law on Disease Prevention, when promulgated, is expected to create a comprehensive legal foundation, contributing to improving the physical and mental health, stature and quality of life of Vietnamese people,” emphasized Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Prevention Pham Duc Manh./.