The Ministry of Health and AstraZeneca Vietnam Company Ltd have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to deepen their long-term partnership and strengthen their collaboration to comprehensively enhance healthcare for the people of Viet Nam.

The expanded partnership, to take place from 2023 to 2028, will see comprehensive co-operation between the two parties in the areas of disease prevention and control, pharmaceutical research, development and manufacturing, and sustainable health system development.

“Following the guidance of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at his meeting with AstraZeneca chief executive officer, Pascal Soriot, last May, we are pleased to launch this holistic partnership to start a new chapter in three decades of collaboration between the Ministry of Health and AstraZeneca," said Nitin Kapoor, chairman and general director, AstraZeneca Vietnam.

"We appreciate the continued support of the Ministry and look forward to joining hands to improve patients’ lives and help Viet Nam’s health sector become more equal, effective, and globally integrated.”

Following the MoU, AstraZeneca will advance both ongoing and new programmes, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and health-care partners, to promote disease awareness, prevention, and early detection. These include the Health Lung Programme to improve the diagnosis and management of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung cancer; the Young Health Programme to help youths build a healthy lifestyle and prevent non-communicable diseases; and the CAREME programme to transform the cardiovascular-renal-metabolic care ecosystem.

In addition, AstraZeneca's VND7 trillion (US$310 million) investment from 2020 to 2030, which includes VND2 trillion ($103 million) for technology transfer and local contract manufacturing of medicines, as well as partnerships with various hospitals on clinical research, will help Viet Nam enhance the biopharmaceutical R&D and production capabilities of the country.

AstraZeneca is also cooperating with the World Economic Forum, London School of Economics, and Health Strategy and Policy Institute under Viet Nam Ministry of Health, in the Partnership for Health System Sustainability and Resilience to comprehensively reinforce the Vietnamese health system and prepare it for future challenges.

In addition, the company has collaborated with the Ministry of Health and the British Government to donate solar power systems to district health facilities, which will contribute to protecting the environment and provide a stable source of electricity through green energy. In the coming years, the two sides will further strengthen cooperation in this area to help Viet Nam reduce the impact of climate change. — VNS