Public health - the foundation for sustainable national development: Resolution
WVR - Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW (dated September 9, 2025) of the Politburo sets forth the requirement for comprehensive changes and breakthrough solutions in the protection, care, and enhancement of public health.
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| Health check-ups and consultations for the elderly. Public health is the foundation for sustainable national development, according to Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW. (Photo: Nhan Dan Newspaper) |
One of the key requirements is to shift the focus from passive treatment to proactive disease prevention; transitioning from late-stage medical interventions to early screening, management, and protection of people's health from the grassroots level.
This shift aims to build a healthy Vietnam where every citizen receives healthcare, lives long, and lives healthily. It represents a major change in medical professional approaches and a profound reform that places citizens at the center, with the highest goal of protecting health before illness occurs.
To realize the perspectives and objectives of Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW as well as the Party's 14th Congress Resolution, at the recent launch of National Health Day, Party and State leaders urged all levels and sectors to consider the protection and care of public health as an important and regular political task.
For every citizen, regular physical exercise and sports should be seen as an intrinsic need and a daily habit. A new emphasis is placed on building and practicing a health culture.
Health culture is reflected in living scientifically and civilly, ensuring proper nutrition, food safety, and cleanliness; limiting tobacco, alcohol, and harmful substances; and protecting the surrounding environment to create a green-clean-healthy living space.
Each citizen should change their health care habits, not waiting until illness strikes to seek a doctor, but proactively undergoing regular health check-ups and disease screenings. A reasonable, healthy diet will help prevent diseases and improve quality of life.
Currently, Vietnam faces three nutritional burdens: stunting in children; micronutrient deficiencies in disadvantaged areas and vulnerable groups; and rapidly increasing overweight and obesity in urban areas and major cities. Among these, the rise in overweight and obesity is the main cause of the rapid increase in non-communicable diseases.
To address these three nutritional burdens, individuals need a healthy diet throughout their lives. Nutrition experts point out that a healthy diet requires changes starting from family meals, as Vietnamese people currently consume nearly double the amount of salt recommended by the World Health Organization.
There are three major "culprits" that pose significant health risks and need strict control: salt, alcohol, and tobacco. Reducing salt in daily meals is a simple yet effective solution to protect individual and family health. This reduction should begin from the selection of food, shopping, to daily meal preparation. A scientific diet should ensure a balance between nutrient groups while limiting risk factors.
Health is the most valuable asset for each citizen and is the foundation and driving force for rapid and sustainable national development. Besides the efforts of the State and specialized agencies, the role of each citizen is decisive. Starting to change, build, and practice a health culture for a healthy, scientific lifestyle benefits not only individuals but also reduces the burden on families and society.
