Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan presents the draft Law on Disease Prevention - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
Presenting the draft Law on Disease Prevention, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan stated that, after more than 17 years of implementation, the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases of 2007 has made a significant contribution to controlling and preventing epidemics and protecting people's health.
However, in practice, many new problems have emerged, such as the burden of non-communicable diseases, mental health disorders, malnutrition, environmental pollution, and changes in health behaviors.
Current laws primarily regulate the prevention and control of infectious diseases, but do not adequately address new risk factors for non-communicable diseases and mental health. Therefore, the development of a Law on Disease Prevention is necessary to improve the institutional framework and meet the requirements for protecting and caring for people's health in the new context.
The objective of the draft Law is to perfect the legal framework for disease prevention , aiming to improve the physical and mental health, stature, and life expectancy of Vietnamese people through effective control of diseases and risk factors.
The draft Law comprises 6 chapters and 41 articles , regulating the following areas: prevention and control of infectious diseases; prevention and control of non-communicable diseases and mental health disorders; ensuring nutrition in disease prevention; and other necessary conditions, such as resources, human resources, science and technology, digital transformation, and the Disease Prevention Fund.
Adding more new and comprehensive content.
Compared to current regulations, the draft Law on Disease Prevention expands the scope of regulation and adds a series of new provisions.
Regarding the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases , the draft clearly stipulates measures for managing risk factors, early detection, prevention, and treatment in the community; and assigns the Minister of Health to issue specific regulations on ensuring nutrition and strengthening physical fitness.
Regarding the prevention and control of mental health disorders , the draft proposes regulations on risk factors, preventive measures, early detection, and the rights and responsibilities of individuals and organizations in protecting mental health – an area that is increasingly receiving attention from society.
Notably, the content regarding nutritional assurance in disease prevention is specifically regulated for each target group: pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, children under 24 months old, children and school nutrition programs, workers, and the elderly.
In addition, the draft also stipulates conditions to ensure disease prevention work , such as human resource policies, remuneration for those working in disease prevention and control, application of science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation in public health surveillance; especially the establishment of the Disease Prevention Fund - a state financial fund outside the budget established by the Prime Minister.
The Fund's sources of funding include charter capital from the State budget, the remaining balance of the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund as of June 30, 2026, the mandatory 2% contribution on the special consumption tax price of tobacco manufacturers and importers, and other legitimate sources of sponsorship, contributions, and aid.
Chairman of the Committee on Culture and Social Affairs Nguyen Dac Vinh presents a summary of the report on the examination of the draft Law on Disease Prevention - Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac
Presenting the verification report, the Chairman of the Committee on Culture and Social Affairs, Nguyen Dac Vinh, stated that the Committee agreed with the objectives and viewpoints of the Law's development and assessed that the draft is fundamentally consistent with the Constitution, in line with the legal system, and fully institutionalizes the Party's policy on public health care .
However, the Committee recommended further review and more fully institutionalization of the contents of Resolution No. 72 of the Politburo , ensuring a balance between the policies that have already been codified.
Regarding the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases , the Committee recommends studying the addition of regulations on mechanisms to ensure the implementation of "counseling, monitoring, early detection, and preventive treatment for people at high risk of non-communicable diseases" to ensure feasibility in implementation.
Regarding the prevention and control of mental health disorders , it is necessary to clearly identify high-risk groups, preventive measures, and funding sources; and to conduct further research on topics related to school mental health and individuals experiencing psychological trauma after natural disasters or calamities .
Regarding nutrition in disease prevention , the Committee recommends studying and supplementing regulations to ensure the full application of the principle that "nutrition in disease prevention must be implemented throughout the life cycle, according to age and target group"; and considering adding the principle that the implementation of nutrition in disease prevention should only be a recommendation for the use of nutritional products, not a mandatory requirement.
Regarding nutrition policies for pregnant women and malnourished children , the majority opinion of the Committee is that regulations should apply to all pregnant women who need micronutrient supplementation and children with acute malnutrition and stunting, regardless of region, in order to ensure policies that increase birth rates, improve population quality, and ensure equity.
Regarding the conditions for ensuring disease prevention, the Committee agreed on the necessity of establishing a Disease Prevention Fund, including regulations on the fund's funding sources. However, the Committee proposed a mechanism for controlling the fund, such as "The Government reporting to the National Assembly every two years on the results of the Fund's operation and management"; clearly defining the specific purpose, tasks, and principles of the Fund's use, especially the task of supporting activities to prevent and control the harmful effects of tobacco; and avoiding the creation of new organizations during the establishment of the Disease Prevention Fund.
Some opinions suggest that the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund should not be abolished, but only its name and tasks as stipulated in the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention should be amended and supplemented to ensure the Fund operates more effectively.
There have been suggestions to study regulations requiring mandatory contributions from manufacturers and importers of goods that pose a health risk, such as alcohol, beer, and sugary drinks, to ensure fairness among goods that are harmful to health.
Thu Giang
Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/trinh-quoc-hoi-luat-phong-benh-bo-sung-nhieu-quy-dinh-moi-ve-suc-khoe-tam-than-dinh-duong-102251023101809992.htm
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