Vietnam confronts rising non‑communicable disease deaths as Pharmacity expands chronic‑care services

The World Health Organization reports that about 80% of all deaths in Vietnam are now caused by non‑communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory conditions. A large share of hypertension and type‑2 diabetes cases remain undiagnosed, and many people delay routine health checks until symptoms become severe. Young adults also forgo preventive care due to demanding work and study schedules, increasing the risk of early‑onset chronic illness.

Pharmacity is responding by rolling out free health‑screening stations in more than 1,000 pharmacies nationwide. The stations offer blood‑pressure, blood‑glucose, uric‑acid and bone‑density measurements, with pharmacists providing immediate counseling and referrals when abnormalities are found. The chain is also developing an AI‑driven virtual assistant to support patients in monitoring their conditions and accessing reliable health information. These initiatives aim to improve early detection and management of hypertension, diabetes, gout and related complications, reducing the overall disease burden in Vietnam.