This is the first time the ASEAN Health Ministers Retreat has been organized in Vietnam with the participation of nearly 200 international delegates as ministers, 10 leaders of medical delegations of ASEAN countries and partners such as China, South Korea, Japan, ASEAN General Secretary, and representatives of international organizations... During two days, the conference concentrated on main contents: enhance to improve initial health in the orientation of universal health coverage, better ASEAN Community's health after 2015, improve initial health in non-communicable diseases prevention (NCDs), coordinate with other branches in preventing newly emerging infectious diseases... Speaking at the conference, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung stressed that promote economic growth, cultural-social advance, and human development is defined target in Declaration of the ASEAN leaders since its establishment in 1967.
According to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, after nearly 30 years of conducting Doi Moi Reform, Vietnam has gained many important achievement in socio-economic development. From an underdeveloped country which was seriously affected by wars, Vietnam has risen to become a developing countries with middle-level income, deeper international integration, and entering a new development phase. Vietnam Health Ministry is a branch receiving many attentions from the government and people. Over years, the ministry gained many accomplishments in health protection, care, and improvement. It also completes successfully many Millennium Development Goals of The United Nations on poverty reduction, malnutrition and infant mortality reductions, and maternal health improvement. Works on preventing diseases spreading are fostered. Initial health care network is improved. Local health network is promoted constantly. Up until now, three fourths of Vietnam population participates in health insurance. Health human resource develops in both quantity and quality. According to some international statistics channels, health indicators of Vietnamese people are better than those of other countries having the same average income per capita as Vietnam.
"The above-mentioned accomplishments are great efforts of Vietnam with the support of international community. On this occasion, on behalf of Vietnamese government and people, I sincerely thank you and look forward to receiving the cooperation, supports of international friends, organizations and countries in ASEAN Community and in the world", Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said. The Vietnamese Prime Minister confirmed that Vietnam as well as other ASEAN members is facing difficulties and challenges in protecting, caring, and improving people health. The need of health care is on the rise while national potential is modest. Climate change and environment pollution are having adverse impact on residents' health. Currently, many strange diseases have not had medicine and treatment mechanisms. Disease patterns are changing. The incidence of catching dangerous diseases is on the rise. These difficulties and challenges are threatening the development of human resource and future generation of nations.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said that to build an ASEAN Community towards people and for people, the theme of the meeting is practical and suitable. Simultaneously, he underlined, “We need to enhance cooperation to complete health network countrywide, ensure everyone to access qualified health services. Initially, vulnerable subjects and people in mountainous and island remote areas are put in priority. Besides, the Prime Minister specified that it is necessary to boost cooperations in preventing infectious diseases, particularly in the context of complicated development and spread of Ebola, H7N9, and Mec-CoVi..., and diseases of a high endemicity in ASEAN such as dengue fever, foot and mouth diseases, rabies, drug-resistant malaria... "The situation requires us to tightly and effectively cooperate." It is necessary to coordinate and take advantage of medical supports from partners as China, Japan, South Korea, at the same time strengthening relation with other partners of ASEAN. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said that the conference took place at the right time for health ministers of ASEAN to discuss and issue priority orientations and effective cooperative mechanisms to successfully implement the target of "A better health for ASEAN Community after 2015".