Sanofi steps up efforts to boost community health in Vietnam

Sanofi Vietnam has cooperated with the VinaCapital Foundation (VCF) since April 2024 to implement a heart disease screening and influenza vaccination programme for people in Quang Binh and Tra Vinh provinces.

With the purpose of enhancing the health of the community, Sanofi has accompanied VCF to sponsor 800 doses of influenza vaccines and heart disease screening for individuals living in remote areas, where the ability to access medical services is still limited.

Key targets of the programme are elderly people and children.

Burak Pekmezci (country lead, head of vaccines, Sanofi Vietnam) and Rad Kivette (CEO of VinaCapital Foundation) at the kick-off day of the programme. Source: Sanofi

This programme is a part of Sanofi's commitment to improving community health in Vietnam. Sanofi collaborated with VCF and local associations to implement a community health project from April to July 2024.

With 800 doses of flu vaccines donated, Sanofi has contributed to bringing essential healthcare services to areas that did not have access to them and protected people from the burdens of disease.

Elderly people and children are the two groups that are easily vulnerable due to influenza seasonal. Source: Sanofi

In addition, within the programme, Sanofi has worked with VCF to help over 3,000 children in Quang Binh province to access congenital heart disease screening.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong, chairperson of The Sponsoring Associations for Poor Patients in Quang Binh province, said, "Congenital heart disease screening and free treatment has been facilitated for many children, especially those who still find it difficult to access advanced treatment. This campaign gives children a healthier heart and eliminates the financial burdens on their families."

The influenza seasonal vaccination programme. Source: Sanofi

The country lead of Sanofi Vietnam and head of vaccines in Vietnam and Cambodia, Burak Pekmezci, emphasised, “Health protection against infectious diseases is the responsibility of the whole society. Vaccinating is one of the optimal solutions, helping to secure people, especially children and older people, from threatening diseases, cost-saving in treatment, and eliminating unfortunate consequences.”

Sanofi has been investing hundreds of millions of dollars per year in research and development, with 12 manufacturing factories providing 2.5 million doses of vaccines every day. In Vietnam in 2023, Sanofi provided 7 million doses of vaccines, helping to protect millions of Vietnamese people from dangerous diseases such as influenza, diphtheria, polio, and many more.

Sanofi has donated 800 doses of flu vaccinations for people across Vietnam in 2024. Source: Sanofi

Besides health initiatives, Sanofi has executed campaigns that enhance life quality and construct a healthier and more sustainable community in previous years. For instance, it has provided 700 international-standard e-learning accounts to accelerate for children from low-income families, while also sponsoring water filtration systems for people and kindergartens in remote areas.

Healthcare professionals check children in Quang Binh province. Source: Sanofi

According to statistics from the World Health Organization, there are 3-5 million severe cases of influenza worldwide every year. Specifically, the two groups that are most susceptible to severe and dangerous are children and elderly people.

With low immunity, children face the heavy consequences of influenza. For elderly people and those who already have chronic background diseases with weakened immunity, facing influenza can be self-threatening.

On October 9, Sanofi and Vietnam Vaccine JSC (VNVC), the country's leading vaccination centre network, signed a letter of intent to initiate detailed discussions on the manufacturing of specific Sanofi vaccines at VNVC's manufacturing facility in Vietnam. This is one of the activities carried out by Sanofi aimed at making a meaningful contribution to Vietnam’s public health and industrial growth.

This collaboration sets the stage for impactful discussions and initiatives focused on knowledge sharing, joint production initiatives, and potential technology transfer. These endeavours will be guided by mutually agreeable terms, aligning with the strategic objectives of both organisations.

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