Law on Disease Prevention - Comprehensive legal foundation on disease prevention

In the context that the country is still facing the double burden of both infectious diseases and the alarming increase of non-communicable diseases (cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma...) and mental health disorders; as well as improper nutrition leading to limited physical development and stature of Vietnamese people; conditions to ensure disease prevention work are still limited; the

  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 6th Conference of the 12th Party Central Committee on strengthening the protection, care and improvement of people's health in the new situation. The health sector is shifting strongly from a mindset focused on "medical examination and treatment" to "proactive disease prevention", "early disease prevention, from afar, from the grassroots", focusing on protecting, caring for, and improving health comprehensively and continuously throughout the life cycle.

The Law on Disease Prevention focuses on protecting, caring for, and improving people's overall health.

Regarding the scope of regulation and subjects of application: The Draft Law on Disease Prevention regulates the prevention and control of infectious diseases; prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, mental health disorders and other risk factors; nutrition in disease prevention and conditions to ensure disease prevention. The Law applies to domestic and foreign agencies, organizations and individuals in Vietnam.

Major policies of the Law: The Draft Law on Disease Prevention consists of 6 chapters and 41 articles, designed based on 05 major policy groups 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 is expected to become a comprehensive legal foundation for disease prevention.

The Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases will expire when the Law on Disease Prevention comes into effect: The Law on Disease Prevention is built on the basis of inheriting 05 articles, amending 39 relevant articles of the 2007 Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, overcoming difficulties and obstacles, especially in the recent work of preventing and controlling the COVID-19 epidemic to meet practical requirements on prevention and control of infectious diseases in the new situation.

Regarding the basic content of the draft Law on Disease Prevention, it focuses on 2 groups:

- Group of contents to amend and complete the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases: (1) Regulations on the interpretation of terms; State policies, State management contents on disease prevention; responsibilities of agencies and organizations in disease prevention; prohibited acts in disease prevention; information, education, communication on disease prevention, notably the draft Law has stipulated Vietnam National Health Day: April 7 every year to spread the spirit of "proactive disease prevention" among the entire population; (2) Regulations on methods of classifying infectious diseases and epidemics and eradicating and eliminating some circulating infectious diseases; (3) Regulations on measures to prevent and control infectious diseases and epidemics (such as infectious disease surveillance; medical isolation; medical quarantine; ensuring safety and biosecurity in testing; vaccines, biological products and vaccinations...); Supplement 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.

- New additional content group compared to current regulations :

(1) Prevention and control of non-communicable diseases: The Law stipulates measures to prevent and control diseases, risk factors for diseases; early detection, disease prevention and disease management in the community. The Law on Disease Prevention is expected to supplement regulations on periodic health check-ups and screening to institutionalize the viewpoint of Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW: "People are entitled to periodic health check-ups or free screening at least once a year from 2026".

(2) Prevention and control of mental health disorders : This is a completely new addition, recognizing mental health as an important part of overall health. The law stipulates risk factors, early detection and preventive measures for mental health disorders; rights and responsibilities of agencies, organizations and individuals in preventing and controlling mental health disorders;

(3) Nutrition in disease prevention: The Law stipulates the implementation of nutrition in disease prevention, emphasizing that it must be implemented throughout the life cycle, focusing on nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life from pregnancy to children under 24 months of age (This is the golden period that determines the physical strength and stature of children due to nutritional factors) . At the same time, the Law specifically stipulates nutrition for a number of groups of subjects (pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and children under 24 months of age; children, school-age children, workers and the elderly);

(4) Conditions to ensure disease prevention: The Law stipulates research, application of science, technology, innovation and digital transformation in disease prevention; training and fostering of human resources, funding for disease prevention work; regimes for people working in infectious disease prevention and control and the Disease Prevention Fund to create sustainable financial resources for disease prevention activities.

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 draft Law on Disease Prevention is being submitted to the 15th National Assembly for consideration and approval at the 10th Session. When promulgated, the Law on Disease Prevention is expected to create a comprehensive legal foundation, contributing to improving the physical and mental health, stature and quality of life of Vietnamese people.

Department of Communication - Education and Training (Source: Department of Disease Prevention, Ministry of Health)

Source: https://yte.nghean.gov.vn/tin-chuyen-nganh/luat-phong-benh-nen-tang-phap-ly-toan-dien-ve-phong-benh-982331