Hanoi (VNA) – In the context of the FourthIndustrial Revolution, science-technology cooperation in health care andpharmaceuticals is one of the important fields Vietnam is promoting.

At the 10th Vietnam-US Joint Committee Meetingon Science and Technology in Washington DC last week, the two countries agreedto enhance science-technology collaboration on health care and health sciencesbesides partnership in agriculture and biotechnology, and environmentalconservation science.

Judith Garber, Principal Deputy AssistantSecretary for Oceans, International Environmental and Scientific Affairs at theUS Department of State, highly valued bilateral cooperation achievements,particularly in the Global Health Security Agenda, the Field EpidemiologyTraining Programme, the biological threat reduction programme, and the researchproject on cancer prevention and treatment.

In early October, Olga Lidia Tapia Iglesias, Secretaryof the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and head of the CentralCommittee’s Department of Science, Education and Sports, had a working sessionwith the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) to review jointresearch projects capitalising on the countries’ science-technology advantages.

The Cuban official particularly hailed the projecton producing antigens in pertussis vaccine by using genetic mutation, andanother to develop Vi polysaccharide typhoid vaccine.

MoST Minister Chu Ngoc Anh said 2018 is animportant year in the cooperation between his ministry and the Cuban Ministryof Science, Technology and Environment. They have signed a memorandum ofunderstanding on cooperation to concretise the two countries’ science-technologycooperation agreement inked in 1997. The document aims to serve as a basis forexpanding bilateral cooperation in a practical, effective and sustainablemanner in the new period.

He added that Vietnam wishes to cooperate withleading science-technology organisations of Cuba in biotechnology, health careand pharmaceuticals. 

The ministries also talked the building of anaction plan on science and technology to create favourable conditions forimplementing joint research activities. This issue will be discussed at the36th meeting of the Vietnam-Cuba Intergovernmental Committee in Havana thisNovember, Anh added.

Meanwhile, Japan is also an important partner inscience-technology cooperation in health care. The two countries have reached anagreement on stepping up exchanges and sharing in some prioritised areas,including universal health care, prevention and control of new and re-emerginginfectious diseases, disaster response, human resources development,pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment.

Notably, under the Vietnam-Japan EconomicPartnership Agreement, Japan has received Vietnamese caregivers for furthertraining and practice since 2012.

Recently, TH Group of Vietnam and InternationalTotal Engineering Corporation (ITEC) of Japan have entered into a contract tobuild a hi-tech healthcare complex in Hanoi.

ITEC President Johtaro Seki said his firm willsupport TH Group to access the world’s most modern medical solutions. Thehi-tech healthcare complex is designed to become a five-star general hospitalwith Japanese-standard nurses and caregivers. 

The partnership marks a new cooperation inhealth care between the two countries in the time ahead, he noted.-VNA