Vietnam, US share experience in chronic kidney treatment in COVID-19 

Vietnam and the US shared experience in chronic kidney treatment in COVID-19

The event was attended by Tran Van Thuan, Deputy Vietnamese Minister of Health; Alex Azar, Secretary of HHS; Melissa Bishop from the US Embassy in Vietnam; and other officials and medical experts from Vietnam and the US.

Thuan said that by 2019, Vietnam had about 400 hemodialysis units and hemodialysis service providers for 30,000 kidney patients. The peritoneal filtration has been applied since 2004, and by 2009 the country had 45 peritoneal filtration units nationwide with over 2,000 patients receiving treatment with the technique.

Tran Van Thuan, Deputy Vietnamese Minister of Health

Regarding kidney transplant, since the first kidney transplant in 1992, the number has risen to 4,441.

In the COVID-19 outbreak in Vietnam and globally, statistics and scientific studies find that older people and those with chronic illness, including end-stage kidney disease, are more seriously attacked by the deadly virus.

Social distancing and measures to ease the risks of the COVID-19 outbreak are a challenge to kidney care (blood filtration, peritoneal filtration) at healthcare facilities, especially those accommodating many seriously ill people, old people, patients with underlying diseases and kidney failures. Ensuring the healthcare services for end-stage kidney patients in the pandemic is a problem of concern to solve.

Alex Azar highlighted Vietnam’s efforts to take measures to effectively respond to the pandemic. This is a sample for the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

Alex Azar, Secretary of HHS

Kidney disease, which is always a challenge to the healthcare sector and community health, is rising globally. HHS is willing to share about effective policies and legal tools for the prevention of kidney failure, and the increase of peritoneal filtration at home and kidney transplant.

At the forum, medical experts shared their experiences about healthcare services for end-stage kidney patients in the COVID-19 period, as well as discussed the policy, solutions, and appropriate approach in supplying medical services for patients while ensuring prevention and easing risks of infection, and increasing effectiveness of treatment.

Chronic kidney disease is a non-communicable disease (NCD) often caused by diabetes and hypertension and is a serious health problem in the community, ranking as the 12th biggest killer in the world.

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