Việt Nam marks milestone in viral hepatitis care at the primary healthcare level

A panel discussion at the workshop to review the initial results of the strengthening screening, diagnosis, care and treatment for hepatitis at the primary care level project on November 13. — Photo courtesy of the organiser

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Health announced the first-ever cure of hepatitis C under social health insurance through a domestic programme at a primary healthcare level in Việt Nam. This marks a significant step forward in ensuring accessible hepatitis care and treatment for vulnerable populations.

The news was revealed at an international workshop to review the initial results of the strengthening screening, diagnosis, care and treatment for hepatitis at the primary care level on November 13.

The StITCH (Strengthening the Integrated Care and Treatment of Hepatitis) project focuses its activities on improved screening, diagnosis and treatment for viral hepatitis at the primary healthcare level in Việt Nam.

It aims to develop, test and replicate a chronic hepatitis model of care at the primary healthcare level following current regulations in Việt Nam and help the country achieve its goal of eliminating hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

The project was implemented by the Health Advancement in Việt Nam (HAIVN) project of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre (BIDMC) – Harvard Medical School, in collaboration with the Thái Bình and Phú Thọ health departments and Gilead Sciences from early 2024 to 2026.

At the workshop, local and international experts discussed the success of the StITCH (Strengthening the Integrated Care and Treatment of Hepatitis) project and its role in transforming Việt Nam’s primary healthcare system. They also discussed the people-centred hepatitis model of care at the primary healthcare level, highlighting why this approach is a priority and sharing programmatic successes from 2024.

They proposed measures to strengthen Việt Nam's commitment to eliminating hepatitis by 2030 by strengthening the primary healthcare system, with StITCH proposed as a key strategy. Việt Nam wants to become a global leader in this field, as reflected in the new national strategy for 2025-2030.

Experts also discussed the additional support, resources and assistance required from stakeholders to meet Việt Nam’s hepatitis elimination target by 2030. They called for initial commitments from other provinces and the Ministry of Health to bring the hepatitis screening and care model to the primary healthcare level.

Việt Nam is one of the ten countries with the highest number of people infected with hepatitis B and C in the world, with about 6.5 million people infected with hepatitis B and 900,000 people infected with hepatitis C. This is the cause of about 80,000 cases of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and about 40,000 deaths annually.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are about 254 million people living with hepatitis B and 50 million people with hepatitis C worldwide. Every day there are 6,000 new infections and 3,500 deaths. — VNS