Ha Anh Duc, head of the Office of the Ministry of Health and chairman of the Vietnam Young Physicians’ Association, delivers his speech at the event (Photo: VNA) This is the aim of the "CAREME" - Cardiovascular,Kidney, and Metabolic Health Care Programme, which was launched by the VietnamYoung Physicians’ Association at the National Hospital of Endocrinology in Hanoion April 5, to commemorate World Health Day (April 7) and World Kidney Day (March14).
Ha Anh Duc, head of the Office of the Ministry of Health and Chairmanof the Vietnam Young Physicians’ Association (VYPA), said: “Amongnon-communicable diseases, chronic kidney disease is a progressive conditionwith a high prevalence rate, often undiagnosed and insufficientlyaddressed."
According to Duc, this imposed a burden on patients, families,society, as well as the national healthcare system.
However, the rate of missed diagnosis of chronic kidney diseaseremained very high, especially in the early stages due to atypical symptoms,with only about 4.5-15.5% of stage 3 chronic kidney disease patients beingdiagnosed.
The missed diagnosis rate was particularly high among high-riskgroups such as those with hypertension and diabetes.
Thus, the "CAREME" programme aims to strengthen andsustain the system of cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic health care throughearly disease detection, improving quality standards in disease management,enhancing clinical outcomes, and reducing healthcare burdens in Vietnam.
The programme supported screening platforms and organised healthcheck-ups and disease screening for 1,000 people at risk of cardiovascular andchronic kidney diseases at the event.
Additionally, it provided healthcare software installation andchronic disease management for hundreds of people.
The programme of the Young Vietnamese Physicians' Association andits partners will focus on mobilising community participation, specialisedunits, and organisations to collectively enhance diagnostic capabilities,improve treatment quality, and manage non-communicable chronic diseases throughthe deployment of digital tools.
It is estimated that there are over 8.7 million adults sufferingfrom chronic kidney disease, accounting for 12.8% of the population in Vietnam.
Alongside this, the economic cost related to the treatment ofchronic kidney disease could amount to billions of dollars each year,accounting for 2.4 - 7.5% of the nation's annual healthcare expenditure, with particularlyhigh costs for dialysis.
In Vietnam, in 2019, the management costs of chronic kidneydisease exceeded the average GDP per capita, with dialysis costs being fourtimes the costs of treating early-stage chronic kidney disease. Early diagnosisand treatment of chronic kidney disease, as well as slowing down theprogression of kidney function decline, will bring significant long-termeconomic benefits while also reducing the burden on the healthcare sector.
Currently, there are over 400 artificial kidney units in thecountry, providing dialysis services to around 30,000 end-stage kidney diseasepatients each year, yet only meeting 30% of the nationwide demand for dialysisservices./.
VNA
