Tobacco causes health burden of over 4 billion USD a year: minister
Tobacco is a burden on society with a total cost of medical examination, treatment, illness, and death of 108 trillion VND (4.24 billion USD) a year, Health Minister Dao Hong Lan told a meeting in Hanoi on May 26 to respond to World No Tobacco Day 2024 (May 31) and National No-Tobacco Week from May 25-31.
Health Minister Dao Hong Lan speaking at the meeting (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - Tobacco is a burden on society with a total cost of medical examination, treatment, illness, and death of 108 trillion VND (4.24 billion USD) a year, Health Minister Dao Hong Lan told a meeting in Hanoi on May 26 to respond to World No Tobacco Day 2024 (May 31) and National No-Tobacco Week from May 25-31.
Lan cited statistics of the World Health Organisation (WHO) as saying that each year more than 8 million deaths are reported to be related to tobacco use globally.
The minister said that a report summing up the 10-year implementation of the Law on Tobacco Harm Prevention and Control shows that the rate of regular cigarette use among adult men decreased by an annual average of 0.5% from 47.4% in 2010 to 38.9% in 2023.
The smoking rate among adolescents has decreased, from 5.36% in 2013 to 2.78% in 2019 in the age group of 13-17, and that of second-hand smoke exposure has also reduced significantly in households and public places and at workplaces.
These are very encouraging results in the work of preventing and controlling the harmful effects of tobacco. However, these achievements are at risk of being destroyed by the rapid increase in the rate of new tobacco use, mainly electronic and heated tobaccos.
Notably, in the age group of 13-15, the rate doubled from 3.5% in 2022 to 8% in 2023, the minister emphasised.
Therefore, on May 13, the Prime Minister issued an official dispatch directing relevant ministries, sectors and agencies to strengthen measures to promptly prevent e-cigarette and heated tobacco products nationwide.
♍Dr. Angela Pratt, WHO Representative in Vietnam, said that banning electronic and heated cigarettes, and increasing tobacco taxes will help Vietnam achieve the goals set out in the Vietnam Health Plan as well as its international commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals./.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has signed to issue a dispatch to relevant ministries, agencies, and localities, asking for strengthened measures to manage electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco.
Vietnam would import 71,835 tonnes of raw tobacco under tariff quota for 2024 set in a freshly issued circular by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).
There are at least 40,000 deaths caused by tobacco-related diseases in Vietnam each year, heard a conference held by the Health Ministry in Hanoi on December 12 to review 10-year enforcement of the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harm.
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The patient, Tieu Viet But, born in 1970 and residing in Binh Tri commune, Binh Son district, the central province of Quang Ngai, was working aboard fishing vessel Qng – 95657TS when the incident occurred at 7:00 am.
All drugs entering hospitals must have a clear origin, so counterfeit drugs are only in the market, not in hospital, affirmed Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan.
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Renowned for its expertise in complex surgeries, the hospital has attracted foreign patients seeking treatment for conditions such as kidney and urinary tract stones, urological and gastrointestinal cancers, and male reproductive disorders. Most procedures are performed using advanced techniques, including laparoscopy and robotic surgery. T
Leading Vietnamese companies specialising in respiratory and dermatological treatments, traditional medicine, immune support supplements, and functional foods will have an opportunity to connect with international distributors and secure export deals.
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A 2023 report by the Vietnam Health Economics Association estimated that the total cost of tobacco-related healthcare and economic losses reached 108 trillion VND (4.14 billion USD) annually – equivalent to 1.14% of GDP and five times higher than the budget revenue generated by the tobacco industry.
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The Red Journey has become the country’s largest and most effective blood donation campaign, leaving a strong impression on the national voluntary blood donation movement.
This case marks the ninth fetal cardiac intervention conducted in HCM City, and it was considered the most technically demanding to date due to the fetus’s extremely early gestational age and the severity of the condition as diagnosed with aortic atresia.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place one day after the VNVC Vaccine JS Company and Sanofi Group exchanged cooperation documents on vaccine production technology transfer under the witness of State President Luong Cuong and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Vietnam’s traditional medicine took centre stage at the International Congress Biopharm Nonclinical Development, BioNCiD 2025, held on May 25-26 in the Cuban city of Varadero, amid growing global interest in sustainable healthcare solutions.
Under the agreement, VNVC and Sanofi will gradually implement technology transfers to enable domestic production of several key Sanofi vaccines that are widely used in Vietnam. In addition, Sanofi will support VNVC in training human resources and quality management in vaccine research and manufacturing.
Despite the ongoing global circulation and unpredictable developments of SARS-CoV-2, the World Health Organisation (WHO) hasn’t issued new warnings about COVID-19, said the Ministry of Health.
