Participants at the signing ceremony on Tuesday in Hà Nội.— Photo courtesy JICA Việt Nam Office

HÀ NỘI — The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is giving aid to the Government of Việt Nam for a project to upgrade medical equipment at the Việt Nam National Cancer Hospital.

They are donating JPY1.83 billion (US$ 11.66 million), to the hospital, which it is planning to use to buy medical devices such as PET/CT systems, MRI machines, CT scanners and X-ray machines.

The upgrading of medical equipment at the hospital, Quán Sứ Facility, will contribute to meeting the increasing demand for cancer healthcare in Việt Nam.

Representatives of the signing parties included Vietnamese Minister of Health Đào Hồng Lan and Chief Representative of the JICA Việt Nam Office Sugano Yuichi.

The ceremony was attended and witnessed by Japanese Ambassador to Việt Nam Ito Naoki and Director of the Việt Nam National Cancer Hospital Lê Văn Quảng.

In Việt Nam, non-communicable diseases now account for up to 77 per cent of total deaths each year, with cancer being the second leading cause.

According to estimates by the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) in 2022, Việt Nam had up to 180,480 new cases and 120,184 deaths from cancer.

The hospital is the leading specialised facility in the country for cancer prevention and treatment, receiving about 446,800 visits, treating 68,600 inpatients and performing approximately 30,700 surgeries annually. — VNS