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Servier Vietnam committed to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases

In June, as part of the 23rd edition of the France-Vietnam Medical Days organized in Hanoi, Servier signed an important memorandum of understanding on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases with the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, in the presence of the French authorities. A significant achievement for the subsidiary which has been committed to improving the management of diabetes and hypertension in Vietnam since 2016 with “First Day” project.

 Hypertension and diabetes are the primary cause of death in Vietnam, with complications causing healthcare costs to explode. “Out of 17 million patients with hypertension, only 30 % are diagnosed and 10 % monitored,” says Mathieu Fitoussi, General manager of Servier Vietnam. “Due to a lack of information, more than one in two patients stops treatment after a few months. Dramatic situations which could be prevented, as we know how to control these diseases and the treatments are available,” he continues.

 
Photo of the Servier stand on cardiovascular disease prevention

An ambitious cultural agenda for change

Keen to actively be involved in the fight against these chronic illnesses, Servier launched from 2016 an innovative initiative called « First Day ».

“The aim of this awareness programme is to inform the general public on the need to diagnose hypertension and diabetes as early as possible, before irreversible complications arise,” underlines Mathieu. “The ambition is to also improve the level of patient compliance by providing them with the means to adapt, independently, their lifestyle according to their condition”.

Photo of the Servier stand on cardiovascular disease prevention
The creation of a dedicated digital platform, www.ngaydautien.vn, which helps to connect the people involved in healthcare with the patient and their family, is one of the first solutions in this regard. “With nearly 500 000 individual visitors this year, it has become one of the most visited healthcare websites in Vietnam,” rejoices Mathieu.

 
Photo of the Servier stand on cardiovascular disease prevention

In addition, a specific « First Day » corner has been successfully tested in a Hanoi hospital, in agreement with the Vietnamese Ministry of Health. “Patients book an appointment with a specially trained nurse, who explains the possible consequences of poor compliance, answers their questions and gives them on and off line tools to better control their illness,” he continues. The deployment of nearly 200 corners throughout the country over the next two years will help to monitor the number of informed patients and measure the effectiveness of these interventions.