According to a VNA reporter in France, on September 16, in the city of Sauset-les Pins, the port city of Marseille, Southeast France, the second "Vietnam-France International Acupuncture Conference" took place.
The event was held to continue the tradition of close cooperation in the fields of health, education and scientific research between the two countries, and to realize the commitments established by the leaders of Vietnam and France in recent times.
The Vietnamese delegation was led by Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Van Thanh, Director of the Central Acupuncture Hospital, Vice President of the World Federation of Acupuncture Societies (WFAS), and Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Acupuncture Association.
The delegation also included professors and leaders of traditional medicine: Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Nam, Director of the Central Hospital of Traditional Medicine, Vice President of the Vietnam Acupuncture Association; Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Quoc Binh, Chairman of the Council of the Vietnam Academy of Traditional Medicine, Vice President of the Vietnam Acupuncture Association; Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Quoc Huy, Director of the Vietnam Academy of Traditional Medicine, Member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Acupuncture Association.
The conference was also honored to welcome Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang, Mr. Maxime Marchand - Mayor of Sauset-les Pins city, Ms. Véronique Arnaud Deloy - Mayor of Aix-Provence region (where the conference was held for the first time), and many guests who are traditional medicine experts from France and Germany to attend to study and register for training courses in Vietnam.
In his opening speech, Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Van Thanh emphasized that the Vietnam-France Acupuncture Conference is an annual activity between the Vietnam Acupuncture Association and the French High-Level Acupuncture Association.
He said the deep friendship between the two countries needs to be promoted in many fields, in which traditional medicine and acupuncture are Vietnam's traditional strengths.
This conference is not only an opportunity to exchange academic and treatment techniques but also a preparation step for the upcoming World Acupuncture Association Conference, aiming to implement the direction of the Politburo, Party, State and Ministry of Health on promoting the breakthrough role of traditional medicine in health care and international integration.
In his speech at the conference, Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang affirmed the special significance of the event held less than a year after the two countries upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
He recalled the high-level visits of General Secretary To Lam (October 2024), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (June 2025) and French President Emmanuel Macron (May 2025), considering them as the driving force to promote bilateral relations. The Ambassador emphasized that Vietnam-France relations not only develop at the central level but also spread to the local level, through twinning pairs and practical cooperation projects. The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, with its position as a major medical center, is considered a locality with special potential for cooperation.
He recalled the long-standing tradition of medical cooperation: from the Indochina Medical School established in 1902, the 1993 Medical Cooperation Agreement, to the spirit of solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic when the two countries supported each other with vaccines and medical equipment. The Ambassador particularly appreciated cooperation in the field of acupuncture - where Vietnamese traditional medicine, recognized by UNESCO, has blended with the modern French medical system through many training courses and seminars since the 1980s.
Speaking to VNA reporters, Associate Professor Dr. Vu Nam said the conference is an opportunity to connect scientists, doctors and managers from Vietnam with France, while opening up prospects for multi-center research cooperation.
He said the Central Hospital of Traditional Medicine, a unit under the Ministry of Health, is currently a leading hospital with international cooperation as one of its eight key responsibilities.
According to him, through scientific cooperation, Vietnamese traditional medicine can both spread to the world and absorb modern medical knowledge to improve treatment effectiveness in the country.
The hospital is also the only cooperation center with the World Health Organization on traditional medicine in Vietnam, responsible for promoting transfer and updating treatment regimens to serve patients better and better.
Marseille Mayor Maxime Marchand affirmed that it is important for the city to maintain medical links between the two countries. He emphasized that traditional Vietnamese and Chinese medicine can complement modern medicine, and that Vietnamese experts directly sharing knowledge accumulated over hundreds of years is a valuable opportunity for the French medical community, both beneficial and enriching the country's medical sector.
Meanwhile, Ms. Véronique Arnaud Deloy expressed her honor to attend the conference and said that this was her second time attending the Vietnam Traditional Medicine Congress. She said that Vietnamese traditional medicine has a strong complementary role to modern medicine, aiming for optimal benefits for patients. According to her, without this combination, it would be difficult to achieve comprehensive results. She cited that in France, acupuncture was once doubted but is now recognized as a method that brings clear results, opening up a new direction for health care.
As someone with part Vietnamese blood, she affirmed that medical cooperation between the two countries has both professional significance and deep cultural and historical ties, and needs to be promoted in many more fields.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Quoc Huy emphasized that this conference has contributed to providing orientation for building a common research plan, standardizing techniques, enhancing training and transferring technology. He considered the conference an annual activity of strategic significance in promoting international cooperation, while affirming the long-standing traditional relationship with France as the foundation for spreading the value of Vietnamese traditional medicine to the world.
According to him, the direction of Vietnamese traditional medicine is not only limited to formal training but also expanded to short-term courses for international students, aiming to improve the quality of human resources and promote Vietnamese culture.
He emphasized that traditional medicine, which has been associated with the nation for thousands of years, now has the opportunity to become a bridge connecting Vietnam more closely with France, Europe and the world.
The conference ended successfully, contributing to enhancing the position of Vietnamese acupuncture in the international arena and making practical contributions to the goal of community health care.
The discussion focused on updating new evidence on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture, sharing clinical experiences, identifying priority research directions, and enhancing cooperation in training and technology transfer.
New research findings presented and discussed have confirmed the role of acupuncture in the treatment of many conditions such as pain, neurological disorders, migraine headaches, psychiatric disorders and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
Immediately after the conference, the Vietnamese doctors examined and treated more than 30 patients in France with various diseases. The patients responded positively to the acupuncture and acupressure methods, many of whom expressed their desire to continue receiving treatment using traditional Vietnamese medicine.
This event once again affirms that acupuncture is a bridge between medicine and culture of the two countries, contributing to strengthening friendship, expanding international cooperation and promoting the cause of public health care./.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/cham-cuu-cau-noi-y-hoc-va-van-hoa-giua-viet-nam-va-phap-post1062285.vnp
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