This morning, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, in coordination with the municipal Department of Health, held a launch ceremony for National Health Day, alongside the simultaneous rollout of free specialist health screenings for residents across the city.
Speaking at the event, Nguyen Manh Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, commended the city’s health sector for proactively organizing large-scale, well-coordinated activities in response to National Health Day. He also highlighted the active and responsible collaboration among departments, agencies, mass organizations and local authorities, noting that such inter-sectoral unity demonstrates that public health care is a shared responsibility of the entire political system and society, not solely the health sector.
According to Vice Chairman Nguyen Manh Cuong, Ho Chi Minh City has consistently prioritized investment in public health, strengthening grassroots healthcare networks, expanding primary care services and promoting health education. The city has also taken proactive measures in disease prevention while intensifying screening and early detection programs, particularly for non-communicable diseases, school health issues, mental health, nutrition and elderly care.
To ensure National Health Day drives meaningful changes in public awareness, behavior and lifestyle, he called on individuals, families and communities to adopt practical, everyday habits that support long-term health. These include maintaining a balanced diet, increasing physical activity, practicing personal and environmental hygiene, avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol consumption, managing risk factors, ensuring full vaccination, undergoing regular health check-ups and participating in screening programs for early detection and timely treatment.
The Vice Chairman added that the health sector must continue to play a central role by innovating primary healthcare services, improving quality of care and implementing continuous, community-based healthcare models. This includes strengthening population health management in line with family medicine principles, as well as applying technology, data and electronic health records in monitoring and care.
Relevant departments, agencies, localities, schools and medical institutions were urged to work closely with the health sector to build safe and healthy living environments, promote mass physical activity, maintain environmental hygiene and foster green, scientific and healthy lifestyles across communities, workplaces and households. Greater communication efforts are also needed to ensure health promotion messages become part of daily life.
As part of the event, more than 1,000 healthcare workers and residents participated in group exercise activities, while 58 hospitals and medical centers simultaneously conducted free specialist screenings across 64 wards and communes citywide.
