4% of Vietnam Population Suffer from Asthma, vs 2.5% in 1981: Hospital

Vietnam has nearly four million people, or 3.9% of the population suffering from asthma as a result of rising environmental pollution and between 3,000 and 4,000 people die each year from the chronic lung disease, the Vietnam News Agency on July 28 quoted the Central Lung Hospital as saying. The rate of asthma patients increased from 2.5% of the total population in 1981 to nearly 4% now, the hospital noted. The hospital, which is under the Ministry of Health, warned that the number of asthma patients in Vietnam keeps increasing, with most of the deaths traced to lack of awareness about the disease and patients receiving no preventive treatment or emergency aid, said Dr. Nguyen Viet Nhung, director of the hospital. Asthma, which is a common long-term condition that can cause coughing, wheezing, chest tightness and breathlessness, has serious repercussions for patients, their families, and society. “The fatality rate is still high despite advances in its management,” Dr. Nhung said. Currently, 5%-10% of the asthma patients in Vietnam have been capable of completely controlling the condition and managing it well. Treatment is estimated to cost thousands of billions of dong each year. In addition to a rise in asthma cases, Vietnam is also seeing increasing number of other illnesses including lung cancer, work-related lung illnesses, diabetes, heart disease, dengue fever, and hand-foot-mouth disease. This situation could be attributed to the worsening living environment, especially in cities where there is not enough clean air and water. Given such a huge demand for medicines, Vietnam’s pharmaceutical market is considered the fastest growing market in Southeast Asia, with its value projected to hit $8 billion in value in 2020 from $3.3 billion in 2013, according to research and consulting firm GlobalData. (vietnamnews.vn July 28)