Health Innovation Hub: accelerating health equity through digital healthcare innovation

The launch took place during the Health Equity through Healthcare Innovation meeting, convened by the Ministry of Health, HUST, and the Vietnam Young Physicians Association.

The launch ceremony brought together distinguished leaders including Dr. Ha Anh Duc, president of the Vietnam Young Physicians Association and director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment at the Ministry of Health; Swedish Ambassador to Vietnam Johan Ndisi; Atul Tandon, chairman and general director of AstraZeneca Vietnam; and Assoc. Prof. Huynh Quyet Thang, HUST's president, underscoring a shared commitment to addressing critical healthcare challenges through cutting-edge technology and collaborative innovation.

The meeting. Photo: AstraZeneca

According to experts, the timing of this initiative is particularly significant as Vietnam confronts mounting healthcare pressures from rapid population ageing, climate change, and deteriorating air quality. These converging factors are driving a surge in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and various cancers, with many conditions now appearing at younger ages among the working population.

National statistics reveal that NCDs account for over 70 per cent of all deaths in Vietnam, with 41.5 per cent occurring before age 70. This burden is compounded by late-stage diagnoses that reduce treatment effectiveness and escalating costs, significant alongside disparities in access to screening, diagnosis, and treatment between urban centres and rural or remote regions.

Integrated into AstraZeneca's A.Catalyst Network, the Health Innovation Hub aims to accelerate AI-driven healthcare innovations and foster equitable access to advanced medical solutions across Vietnam and beyond.

The initiative directly exemplifies public-private partnership in action, supporting the government's vision for enhanced science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation in healthcare as outlined in Politburo Resolutions 57 and 72.

Atul Tandon, chairman and general director of AstraZeneca Vietnam, stated, "This Health Innovation Hub represents a strategic milestone in our vision to harness AI and digital technologies for equitable healthcare across Vietnam and the region. By integrating the Vietnam Health Innovation Hub into A.Catalyst Network across the world, we are building a powerful ecosystem that unites entrepreneurs, academics, governments, and healthcare institutions to drive meaningful innovation.”

Atul Tandon, chairman and general director of AstraZeneca Vietnam. Photo: AstraZeneca

“This collaboration positions Vietnam at the forefront of digital healthcare transformation while addressing the nation's most pressing health challenges. Through these strategic partnerships, we will deliver transformative digital AI solutions that revolutionise how we detect, diagnose, and manage complex diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory conditions – ultimately strengthening the entire healthcare system for generations to come,” he added.

Ecosystem for digital healthcare transformation

Part of this collaboration is an MoU between AstraZeneca and HUST establishing the Health Innovation Hub as part of the A.Catalyst Network, which encompasses over 20 hubs worldwide.

The Vietnam Hub will focus on hurriedly AI applications in healthcare through an AI research and development (R&D) lab dedicated to co-developing local solutions in next-generation clinical trials, biomedical science, and healthcare research.

The MoU between AstraZeneca and HUST. Photo: AstraZeneca

Its comprehensive mandate encompasses: international knowledge transfer that facilitates collaboration and expertise exchange with global healthcare leaders; mentorship and training; developing capabilities for students, researchers, healthcare professionals, startups, and innovators; commercialisation support; and enabling market access through venture capital and accelerator programmes.

And digital innovation: deploying AI and advanced data science systems supported by dedicated digital health experts to enhance clinical development through improved patient recruitment, remote monitoring, and data analysis.

The hub has already announced its first cohort of the Health Innovation Accelerator Program, featuring innovative participants including TR Corporate, OneMedic, AI4LIFE-chatbot, NTD AI Healthcare, qure.ai, and us2.ai.

These organizations will drive 10 projects spanning eight health tech and medtech startups, with strategic focus areas including: early diagnosis enhancement, treatment optimization, capacity building, and innovative research.

The hub will develop localized AI solutions tailored to Vietnam's healthcare priorities, while connecting with renowned institutions such as the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (Japan), Adelaide University, Washington State University, King's College London, Karolinska Institute, and many other leading organizations for joint programs and commercialization support.

Assoc. Prof. Huynh Quyet Thang, president of HUST, added, "The Health Innovation Hub represents a milestone in HUST's mission to drive innovation that serves society. Through this partnership with AstraZeneca, we are creating an ecosystem where our research excellence in AI and technology directly addresses Vietnam's healthcare challenges.”

"This collaboration will empower our students and researchers to develop practical, AI-driven solutions while connecting them with global expertise and resources. Together, we are building not just a research hub, but a catalyst for transforming healthcare delivery and outcomes across Vietnam," he said.

Building on proven success

Over recent years, AstraZeneca has collaborated with Vietnam's healthcare sector, hospitals, and medical organizations to implement digital healthcare solutions across central and local hospitals. These initiatives include the VYPA - initiated Digital Lung Health Program, which has conducted AI-powered chest X-ray screening for over 100,000 individuals, detecting thousands of people with high-risk lung nodules and those at high risk for tuberculosis.

Additional implementations include AI echocardiography at University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City, Bach Mai Hospital, and Cho Ray Hospital. These solutions have delivered tangible benefits to patients while contributing significantly to the development of Vietnam's healthcare system, establishing a strong foundation for the new Health Innovation Hub.

The launch event showcased the hub's immediate impact through an exhibition of AI-enabled healthcare technologies, featuring innovations such as AI spirokit, AI-powered mammography and chest X-ray, AI-ECG, AI echocardiography, AI for lung cancer detection, AI healthcare chatbot, AI for cervical cancer screening, and Telehealth Evibody.

2,000 individuals were screened using standard-of-care technologies, blood tests, and the aforementioned AI solutions.

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialisation of prescription medicines in Oncology, Rare Diseases, and BioPharmaceuticals, including Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca's innovative medicines are sold in more than 125 countries and used by millions of patients worldwide.

A.Catalyst Network is a dynamic network of solutioners and innovative minds that work to address present and future healthcare challenges by connecting AstraZeneca with collaborators from outside traditional pharma. Together with local partners, its hubs around the globe are working to transform the healthcare landscape, developing cutting-edge solutions and strategies to address unique local health priorities. The network's aim is to ignite innovation that will unlock the change required to strengthen healthcare systems and secure more equitable health, helping to improve outcomes for patients.

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