In her remarks at the meeting on February 24 in Nha Trang city, the central province of Khanh Hoa, Director of the Health Ministry’s International Cooperation Department Nguyen Thi Giang Huong, who is also Vice President of the APEC Health Working Group 2017 said Vietnam held a bevy of forums featuring policies on the elderly and prevention of non-communicable diseases and antibiotic resistance, which were highly appreciated by the APEC member economies.

Vietnam proposed the theme of improving the medical system towards universal health coverage and sustainable development and five priorities, including updating the progress of universal health coverage, enhancing the fight against emerging epidemic diseases and antibiotic resistance, strengthening the prevention of non-communicable diseases and health of the elderly, ensuring sustainable financial mechanism to develop health care, and placing health care in every policy and reinforcing multi-sectoral cooperation. 

The APEC member economies also greatly valued Vietnam’s success in preventing and controlling emerging epidemic diseases such as SARS, avian flu A-H5N1 and A-H1N1 and Ebola, contributing to affirming the important role of the country’s health sector in the region. 

Through the event, the country also acquired the other member economies’ experience in launching medical programmes in response to population aging, antibiotic resistance and non-communicable diseases.

The meeting was within the framework of the first APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting and related meetings underway in Nha Trang.

Source: vov.vn