Including chronic disease screening in the Law on Disease Prevention: Reducing the burden on the health system

(Dan Tri) - According to the Ministry of Health, medical thinking is shifting from treatment to prevention. Experts say that screening chronic diseases such as lung cancer, chronic kidney disease, etc. will help reduce the burden on the health system.

Burden of non-communicable diseases

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Van Giap, Deputy Director of Bach Mai Hospital, non-communicable diseases, such as lung cancer, COPD, asthma, etc., are creating an increasingly large burden for the entire health system in Vietnam and around the world.

“These diseases mostly arise from risk factors that were exposed many years ago, such as smoking, air pollution or the aging process. It is worth noting that more than 70% of patients are only detected at a late stage, when the disease has become severely complicated,” Associate Professor Giap said.

At Bach Mai, many lung cancer patients are hospitalized when the tumor has spread, making the chance of radical surgery gone. Meanwhile, if detected at an early stage, the chance of a complete cure is very high.

Associate Professor Giap cited a case that was detected early through regular monitoring for 2 years. The patient had a small, opaque nodule in the lung, less than 6mm in size, suspected of being malignant. After surgical removal, pathology showed that it was stage T1A lung cancer, meaning it was still localized.

"This case was determined to be completely cured, without the need for chemotherapy or radiotherapy, only periodic monitoring. This shows the effectiveness of early detection screening, patients have the opportunity to be cured even with diseases that seem to be "death sentences" for cancer," Associate Professor Giap said.

Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Van Giap examines people (Photo: Th.Anh).

He emphasized: “If this patient is not screened and monitored, the tumor can progress and metastasize. At that time, treatment will only be chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which are many times more expensive and seriously affect the quality of life. The patient will face side effects of chemotherapy, including hair loss, weight loss, liver failure, kidney failure, etc.”

According to this expert, the Law on Disease Prevention in the coming period needs to clearly stipulate the screening and early detection of chronic diseases, so that insurance agencies have a basis for payment, helping people have earlier access to preventive health services.

Sharing this view, Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Prevention Le Thai Ha said that early detection along with risk factor assessment is extremely important. When we identify risks, we will better understand the factors that can lead to respiratory diseases, from common diseases to more severe diseases.

According to Dr. Ha, the risk prevention and screening work that the Ministry of Health is implementing is completely consistent with WHO guidelines, aiming at early detection, proactive prevention and timely intervention thanks to early detection.

How is screening performed?

According to Associate Professor Giap, in many developed countries such as Australia, the US, and Europe, although the health budget is very large, it is still not enough to screen everyone, but to screen those with high risk factors first.

The risk factor for lung diseases and non-communicable lung diseases in general is smoking, which also causes cancer, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, myocardial infarction, etc. Therefore, this expert believes that in the future, the authorities need to discuss how to reduce people's exposure to risk factors.

Resolution 72 also clearly mentioned the role of grassroots health care, this is the force closest to the people, the force closest to the sick in community health, must play a good role in proactive disease prevention, that is, prevention from step 1 - not allowing contact with risk factors will achieve further goals.

As for those who already have risk factors, early detection of the disease and timely treatment have many different approaches, but the general principle is that disease prevention is always better and more economical than treatment, bringing about general health benefits for the people and the whole society.

Bach Mai Hospital doctors examine people during the grassroots support campaign (Photo: Th.Anh).

Sharing the same view, Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Prevention Le Thai Ha emphasized: “Early detection combined with risk assessment is the key to controlling chronic lung disease. When we identify risk factors, we can proactively prevent and intervene early - as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO)”.

According to Ms. Ha, this approach is being integrated by the Ministry of Health into the draft Law on Disease Prevention and implemented according to Resolution 72 of the Government, with the focus on "shifting from treatment to disease prevention", bringing healthcare closer to the people.

This viewpoint is also being specified by the Department of Disease Prevention - Ministry of Health in action programs, draft Law on Disease Prevention, National Population Target Program...

According to experts, when grassroots screening capacity is enhanced, health data is connected through electronic medical records and digital healthcare is transformed, people will be continuously monitored and managed, reducing overload at upper levels.

“We will not replace the grassroots level, but will accompany, transfer technology, train and consult remotely so that people can be screened right at the grassroots level,” Associate Professor Giap said.

According to Dr. Ha, the Ministry of Health has identified a number of key disease groups that need to be prioritized for control, including chronic lung diseases, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, stroke, chronic kidney disease, etc.

“We are developing professional guidelines to standardize screening, diagnosis and disease management in the community, and are coordinating with central hospitals such as Bach Mai to transfer techniques and train grassroots health workers,” Ms. Ha informed.

The goal is that each commune and ward health station can manage and monitor people's health long-term, detect people with risk factors early, and promptly refer them to higher-level health facilities when the disease is detected at a more severe stage.

This is a way to reduce the burden on the central line and help people access medical services right at their local level.

The goal is that by 2035, 100% of health facilities will have the capacity to screen and manage common non-communicable diseases, including chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic kidney disease.

Besides including disease prevention in the Law on Disease Prevention, Deputy Director Le Thai Ha said that the "key" to effectively implementing the chronic disease prevention program is accurate, easy-to-understand communication that does not cause fear but helps people recognize the risks.

“We should not exaggerate to scare people, but communicate the reality, so that they understand the harm and proactively protect themselves. Communication is the first and important factor for people to self-identify and self-identify their risks,” Ms. Ha shared.

Associate Professor Giap added: “People need to change to a healthier lifestyle – eat in moderation, increase physical activity, and control their weight. This is not only to protect themselves but also to be responsible for future generations, because cigarette smoke and pollution directly affect children, even from when they are still in the womb.”

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/dua-sang-loc-benh-man-tinh-vao-luat-phong-benh-giam-tai-he-thong-y-te-20251022223349955.htm