WHO / Yoshi Shimizu
A WHO field staff talks to a woman fetching water from a water catchment tank in Kiribati.

Tuberculosis in Viet Nam

Tuberculosis, or TB, is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs. It is transmitted from person to person via droplets from the throat and lungs of people with the active respiratory disease. Only 5-10% of those infected develop TB in their lifetime. The symptoms of active pulmonary TB are coughing, sometimes with sputum or blood, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats. TB remains one of the top 10 causes of death globally.

Tuberculosis is usually treatable with a six-month course of antibiotics. However, about 5% of all TB cases are resistant to commonly used antibiotics, thereby requiring longer treatment for 9-24 months. TB is curable in most cases, provided the patients fully complete the prescribed course of treatment.

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TB cases and related deaths

The Global tuberculosis report 2018 estimated Viet Nam had 124 000 new TB cases and 12 000 TB-related deaths in 2017.

TB/HIV coinfection

There were 4 500 cases of TB/HIV coinfection in 2017.

31% of people living with HIV (PLHIV) were treated with isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) for latent tuberculosis.

TB diagnosis and care in Viet Namel

Through the commitment of the Government at the highest level the bolstering of strategic and management efforts, Viet Nam has strengthened its system of TB diagnosis and care. In 2017, the country achieved 82% treatment coverage, and among these, 92% successfully completed the treatment. Multidrug-resistant TB, however, is a big challenge, with approximately 4 900 cases in 2017.