Supporting Vietnam’s efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis

A recent World Health Organization (WHO) mission to Vietnam has provided critical insights into the country’s progress toward the elimination of viral hepatitis. 

Bringing together WHO representatives, international partners, and clinicians and public health experts from across Vietnam, the visit aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the nation’s hepatitis program and chart a strategic path forward. 

The Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Professor Ben Cowie, Ms Lien Tran and Dr Beth Hamilton from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis at the Doherty Institute joined the mission team who visited various locations across Vietnam, gathering data and meeting with local stakeholders to gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and progress in viral hepatitis control across urban, regional and rural areas, and at different levels of the health system. 

Professor Cowie and Dr Hamilton visited Hanoi, Son La Province in the mountainous west and Bac Ninh Province, an urban area east of the capital. Ms Lien Tran travelled to An Giang Province in the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s largest and most populous city. These visits highlighted regional differences and priorities, from vaccination access to health system capacity. 

The mission concluded with a collaborative meeting with delegates from facilities visited across Vietnam, WHO staff from the country office as well as from regional and global levels, and Vietnam’s Ministry of Health officials. The mission team shared their findings, highlighting good practices, challenges and recommendations.  

Key findings included the need for consistent procurement and supply of hepatitis B vaccines, reducing barriers to testing and treatment, improving data collection systems and increasing the involvement of people with lived experience of viral hepatitis in shaping public health responses. These insights will inform Vietnam’s 2026–2030 National Hepatitis Elimination Program, ensuring a more targeted and impactful response. 

Professor Cowie, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis at the Doherty Institute, commended Vietnam’s dedication to eliminating viral hepatitis in the region.  

“As a country with a high prevalence of hepatitis B in particular, the public health challenge posed by viral hepatitis in Vietnam is profound. The nation’s commitment to addressing viral hepatitis is evident through the substantial progress already made,” said Professor Cowie. 

“It was an honour to be invited and assist the WHO and the Vietnamese Ministry of Health in their work to eliminate viral hepatitis in the country. We sincerely appreciate the welcome given to us and our international colleagues by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health.” 

This mission underscored Vietnam’s commitment to tackling viral hepatitis and demonstrated the value of international collaboration in addressing global health challenges.