The Ministry of Health announced the sector's top 10 events in 2020 on December 30. 

1. Successful management of Covid-19 pandemic

Viet Nam has been widely regarded as one of the most successful countries in containing the Covid-19 pandemic by mobilizing the entire political system, the Party, people, and army in the fight against the pandemic at the lowest cost. 

The country has pursued the strategy to “prevent, detect, isolate, trace, and treat” patients. So far, over 730,000 people have been quarantined. Over 1.7 million people have been tested for Covid-19. The country also set up 1,608 border guard checkpoints and deployed 10,000 border guards to control disease spreading. 

For the first time, the ministry mobilized nearly 300 medical workers to deal with Viet Nam’s biggest Covid-19 hotpot in Da Nang in one month. 

Viet Nam was one of the first four countries successfully in culturing and isolating the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV) in the lab on February 7, 2020. The country also announced the research result for real-time RT PCR test kit to detect SARS-CoV-2 virus.  

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (5th from L) and delegates launch a remote
healthcare consultation and support (telehealth) network that
connected 1,000 medical examination and treatment
facilities with nearly 30 central or end-line
hospitals of Hà Nội and HCM City

2. Remote medical examination

In just 45 days, the health sector connected 1,000 remote examination and treatment points and the figure has risen to 1,500 points, allowing all medical facilities, especially at district level, to receive continuous professional support. 

The project helps people access quality medical services at the grassroots level, shortens the gap between the upper and lower levels and helps save lives of many patients.

3. Outstanding achievements in surgical field

The moment Truc Nhi and Dieu Nhi, the ischiopagus tetrapus twins conjoined at the pelvis, were separated successfully is the moment a ‘new life’ germinated. 

The separation surgery was carried out at the Ho Chi Minh City Children’s Hospital that mobilized nearly 100 leading medical workers in the city.

For the surgical crew, this miraculous moment opened up a new beautiful life for the two young citizens, allowing them to live with their whole forms intact.

4. Success in national digital transformation

The Ministry of Health completed provision of online public health services level 4 for all administrative procedures under the management of the health sector after six months of implementation.

5. The revised Law on HIV/AIDS Prevention​

The revised Law on HIV/AIDS Prevention, which comes into effect from July next year, stipulates that people with HIV must inform their spouses and those they are going to marry of their status to prevent transmission of the disease.

Over the past 15 years, the fight against HIV/AIDS in Viet Nam has helped half a million of local people avoid HIV infection and save over 150,000 others.  

Viet Nam was named as one of the four countries with the best HIV/AIDS treatment in the world along with Germany, the U.K. and Switzerland. 

6. Community solidarity in pandemic time

In 2020, the health sector has coordinated with the Ministry of Information and Communications to deliver up to 20 billion text messages (SMS) with epidemic prevention and control recommendations.

As of late August, the Viet Nam Fatherland Front mobilized over VND 2.200 billion (US$ 150 million) to support disease prevention forces. 

7. International Day of Epidemic Preparedness

Viet Nam initiated the establishment of the International Ready for Disease Control Day on  December 27 and was approved by the United Nations General Assembly. 

This is the first resolution of the United Nations General Assembly in this regard and the first resolution proposed, negotiated and promoted by Viet Nam.

8. Health insurance coverage reaching 90.8% 

The rate of people participating in health insurance has exceeded the target set by the National Assembly and the Government. 

In addition, Viet Nam reached the rate of 28 hospital beds per 10,000 people.

9. The fitness of Vietnamese people changes positively

According to the results of the Nutrition Census 2020 conducted by the Institute of Nutrition and the General Statistics Office, the height  achieved by young men is 168.1 meters and by women is 156.2 meters (the previous level is 153 m for women, 163.7 m for men).

The increase in height of Vietnamese youth in the period 1990-2020 is equivalent to the golden height of Japan in the period 1955-1995.

According to the results of the census, the rate of stunting among under-5-year-old children in Viet Nam is only 19.6%, falling below 20% for the first time. This is considered a low level classified by the 1997 World Health Organization.

10. Viet Nam maintains replacement fertility

Viet Nam maintains an average of 2.1 children per woman of reproductive age during the last 14 years. 

To achieve and maintain the current fertility rate of replacement, the population will be stable, contributing to reducing the imbalance of sex ratio at birth, prolonging the golden population stage, slowing the aging of the population and improving the quality of the population, contributing to the rapid and sustainable development of the country.