The Government proposed to establish a Disease Prevention Fund.

Continuing the 10th Session, on the morning of October 23, the National Assembly listened to Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan present the draft Law on Disease Prevention.

The Minister said that after more than 17 years, the 2007 Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases has revealed limitations, inadequacies and new problems regarding: quality of life, disease burden, nutrition, environmental factors, and policy gaps for non-communicable diseases and mental health disorders.

Therefore, the development of new laws is necessary to perfect the legal basis for disease prevention; improve the physical and mental health, stature, longevity, and quality of life of Vietnamese people through effective control of diseases and risk factors.

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan presents the draft Law on Disease Prevention. (Photo: DUY LINH)

Take April 7 every year as "National Health Day"

Regarding the scope of regulation, the draft Law stipulates the prevention and control of infectious diseases; prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, mental health disorders and other risk factors; nutrition in disease prevention and conditions to ensure.

The draft Law consists of 6 chapters with 41 articles, with basic contents: regulations on overall State policies; responsibilities, prohibited acts, media information; addition of Vietnam National Health Day (April 7 every year).

In addition, the Law stipulates how to classify infectious diseases; decentralizes the Minister of Health to prescribe criteria for classifying disease groups, criteria for determining epidemics, and criteria for epidemics beyond the government's response capacity; regulations on measures to prevent and control infectious diseases; monitoring in disease prevention; medical isolation; medical quarantine...

Scene of the meeting on the morning of October 23. (Photo: DUY LINH)

Regarding safety and biosecurity in testing, the draft Law stipulates that testing facilities must meet the conditions, have certificates, ensure the management of clinical samples and protect workers. At the same time, they must meet the requirements; manage biological agents, equipment, and data to prevent unauthorized access, loss, theft, misuse, or dissemination.

Regarding new additional contents compared to current regulations, the draft Law on Disease Prevention adds regulations on prevention and control of non-communicable diseases; prevention and control of mental health disorders; ensuring nutrition in disease prevention; conditions to ensure disease prevention...

Another notable content in the draft is the regulation on the Disease Prevention Fund - a state financial fund outside the budget, with legal status, established by the Prime Minister . The sources for the Fund include: state budget support for charter capital; initial charter capital from the entire remaining budget of the Tobacco Harm Prevention Fund until June 30, 2026; mandatory contribution of 2% on the special consumption tax price of tobacco production and import establishments; sponsorship, voluntary contributions; non-refundable aid; other legal sources of revenue. The Government is assigned to regulate the organization, operation, management and use of the Fund.

Propose periodic reports on the performance and management of the Disease Prevention Fund.

Presenting his review views, Chairman of the Committee for Culture and Society Nguyen Dac Vinh said that the Committee agreed on the purpose and viewpoints of the law-making; however, he suggested continuing to review and research to fully institutionalize the Party's viewpoints on people's health care, especially the contents in Resolution No. 72.

At the same time, research and supplement appropriate regulations on prevention and control of infectious diseases, mental health disorders, and nutrition in disease prevention in the draft Law to ensure the implementation of the purpose of promulgating the Law and the balance between the 5 policies that have been codified in the draft Law.

Review and ensure consistency and synchronization in the legal system, especially the Law on Health Insurance, the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms, the Law on Protection of People's Health and related draft laws to be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and approval at the 10th Session; complete component reports, supplement policy impact assessments, especially contents related to funding sources to ensure policy implementation.

Chairman of the Committee for Culture and Society Nguyen Dac Vinh stated his views on the review. (Photo: DUY LINH)

Regarding the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, the Committee recommends continuing to study and supplement the full provisions according to the solutions selected in the Impact Assessment Report, including studying the institutionalization of the contents related to the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in Resolution No. 72 of the Politburo. In addition, study and supplement the provisions on the mechanism to ensure the implementation of the contents on "consultation, monitoring, early detection, and preventive treatment for people at high risk of non-communicable diseases" in Article 29 to ensure feasibility in implementation.

Regarding nutrition in disease prevention, it is recommended to study and supplement regulations to ensure full application of the principle that "nutrition in disease prevention must be implemented throughout the life cycle, according to each age group and each subject" as stipulated in Clause 1, Article 32; consider supplementing the principle that the implementation of nutrition in disease prevention only prescribes recommendations for the use of nutritional products, not mandatory use of nutritional products.

Regarding the nutrition policy for pregnant women and children with acute malnutrition and stunting, the majority of opinions of the Committee believe that it is necessary to have regulations applicable to all subjects including pregnant women who need micronutrient supplementation and children with acute malnutrition and stunting, regardless of region or area, to ensure the policy of increasing birth rate, improving population quality and fairness.

Regarding the conditions for disease prevention, the Committee agreed on the need to regulate the Disease Prevention Fund, including regulations on the source of the fund. However, it is recommended that there be a mechanism to control the Fund such as "every two years, the Government reports to the National Assembly on the results of operations and management and use of the Fund"; clearly stipulate the purpose, specific tasks and principles of using the Fund, especially the task of supporting activities to prevent and combat the harmful effects of tobacco; not to create new organizations in the process of establishing the Disease Prevention Fund.

VAN TOAN

Source: https://nhandan.vn/chinh-phu-de-xuat-thanh-lap-quy-phong-benh-post917355.html