Bus trips with the message "strange yet familiar"

Surprise about HP bacteria

According to the reporter's records, recently, many routes in Hanoi , Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An... have appeared buses with attention-grabbing messages such as: "70% of Vietnamese people are infected with HP bacteria - the cause of stomach cancer" or "80% of stomach cancer cases are related to HP bacteria". This may seem like "strange" information, but in fact, HP is a fairly common type of bacteria in Vietnam and is "familiar" to people with digestive diseases.

The message about stomach diseases on the bus has attracted much attention. Photo: Hieu Ngan.

Unable to hide his surprise when reading this information on a bus route on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, Mr. Tran Hoang Quan (District 4, Ho Chi Minh City) said: “I am no stranger to HP bacteria, but I did not think it had such dangerous complications. At first, I skimmed through it and thought they printed the wrong number. When I looked it up again, I saw that many medical experts had warned me about that information before, but I did not pay attention. Many friends are also suffering from HP, some of them have developed stomach ulcers. I wonder if I can get infected with HP by eating and drinking together like that.”

Similarly, Ms. Ho Thuy Lan (Thanh Tri, Hanoi) was quite surprised when she learned the truth about HP bacteria: “I heard that this bacteria is very common but I don’t know if I have it because I have never been tested. Every few weeks, I have stomach pain, belching, heartburn… but I thought it was just indigestion, so I bought medicine and took it myself and it helped. When I read information about HP on the bus routes, I was a bit worried, I should probably get tested soon.”

Mr. Quan and Ms. Lan are not the only ones surprised by these facts. According to information from the Ministry of Health in 2023, up to 70% of Vietnamese people are infected with Helicobacter Pylori bacteria (HP bacteria). This is the main cause of gastritis and duodenal ulcers, which in the long term will cause fibrosis of the stomach, which can lead to the risk of stomach cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also listed HP bacteria strains as one of the leading causes of stomach cancer since 1994.

Join the free screening

According to data from Manulife Vietnam, in the past three years, the number of claims for gastrointestinal diseases has continuously increased. In 2021, nearly 26,000 customers claimed gastrointestinal disease benefits, and by 2023, this number was nearly 44,000.

Faced with this situation, Manulife Vietnam has coordinated with the Vietnam Young Physicians Association to launch a community campaign called “Clean - Smart - Green Living” to raise public awareness of digestive diseases. The campaign was organized for 2,000 people in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi with free activities such as: HP bacteria screening, health check-ups (general check-ups, specialist check-ups: digestive, eye, ear, nose and throat, X-ray, ultrasound, electrocardiogram, blood sugar check-ups, etc.), free prescription medication, health consultation, etc.

People are examined and screened for HP bacteria for free in the program "Clean - Smart - Green Living". Photo: Thu

Ms. Tina Nguyen, General Director of Manulife Vietnam, said that the campaign “Clean - Smart - Green Living” is the realization of the company’s commitment to investing in community health. “This is one of our efforts to help people have a better quality of life and be healthier, reducing health and financial burdens,” Ms. Tina Nguyen emphasized.

It is known that "Clean - Smart - Green Living" is one of the initiatives demonstrating Manulife's community responsibility, and is also a practical activity marking the 25th anniversary of the Company's presence in Vietnam. With the goal of raising people's awareness of gastrointestinal diseases, the campaign has implemented a series of diverse activities such as: HP bacteria testing, general health check-ups, organizing seminars to equip people with knowledge about gastrointestinal diseases, disseminating information about stomach diseases on public transport routes in many provinces and cities such as: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Hai Phong...

People can register online here: https://www.manulife.com.vn/vi/tot-hon-moi-ngay/hieu-ve-HP.html to get free HP testing and health check-ups. Detailed information about the program can be found on the company's website.

Source: https://laodong.vn/kinh-doanh/nhung-chuyen-xe-bust-mang-thong-diep-la-ma-quen-1360178.ldo