Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called for a focus on developing and diversifying services and products in traditional medicine, as well as improving the quality of traditional medicine in healthcare-related services, to meet tourism demands.

A female sun bear has been rescued after 15 years in captivity in a border district of southwestern Tay Ninh province.

The supply, price and use of herbal medicines will be tightened by strengthening policies on quality assessment at medical facilities, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien has stressed.

A conference was held in the northern province of Yen Bai on December 8 to launch an EU-funded project to enhance capacity in managing the value chain of herbal plants.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged ministries, sectors and localities to seek measures to promote traditional herbal medicines, thus taking advantage of the country’s potential in the field.

A severe cold spell that hit Vietnam during the last few days has taken its toll on the northern region with more than 3,900 livestock animals killed and a widespread area of crops damaged so far.