Businesswoman Donates 3 Million USD to Vietnam’s National Tuberculosis Program

(Chinhphu.vn) – In an effort to contribute to achieving the goals of tuberculosis prevention and control, Ms. Lê Nữ Thùy Dương, Vice Chairwoman of KN Group, made a significant donation to the Global Fund, thereby supporting tuberculosis programs in Vietnam.

Representatives of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, along with Ms. Lê Nữ Thùy Dương, Vice Chairwoman of KN Group, recently visited the National Lung Hospital in Ba Đình, Hanoi. The hospital is also a primary beneficiary of the Global Fund’s support for tuberculosis prevention programs in Vietnam.

Earlier, at a supplementary meeting of the Global Fund, Ms. Thùy Dương pledged a contribution of 3 million USD. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation also announced a contribution of 6 million USD to this support, bringing the total value of donations to 9 million USD.

Ms. Thùy Dương began her involvement with the Global Fund in 2019, contributing 1 million USD at the Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Conference in Lyon, France, with a matching contribution from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation at that time.

In addition, the U.S. government has pledged to contribute 50% of the total amount donated by Ms. Thùy Dương and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As a result, the Global Fund will receive a total of 13.5 million USD. These funds will be used for tuberculosis prevention activities in Vietnam, with the National Tuberculosis Program being the primary beneficiary.

Ms. Thùy Dương has been supporting the Global Fund since 2019, contributing 1 million USD at the Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Conference in Lyon, France.

According to the businesswoman, doctors at the National Lung Hospital have made great efforts to implement the National Tuberculosis Program effectively, bringing significant benefits to patients and the community. This has also been a motivation for her to continue supporting the program, contributing to the reduction of tuberculosis cases in the future

Ms. Françoise Vanni, Director of External Communications at the Global Fund, stated that the contributions from philanthropists and organizations help strengthen the fight against tuberculosis, expand access to treatment for those at high risk, and save more lives.

Dr. Alaa Murabit, Director of PAC Health at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, affirmed: ‘Tuberculosis prevention and control require the collective efforts of public, private, and charitable organizations. We welcome all contributions aimed at improving global health.

The World Health Organization (WHO) assesses that Vietnam is among the 30 countries with the highest burden of tuberculosis and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the world. Tuberculosis treatment has a significant impact on both household and societal economics. In 2020, over 172,000 people contracted tuberculosis, and 10,400 people died from the disease.

Notably, 98% of patients face diagnostic and treatment costs that exceed 20% of their household’s annual income, and 70% of those with tuberculosis are of working age.

Private sector contributions help fill financial gaps, enabling the National Tuberculosis Program to implement improvements that make it easier for patients to access diagnostic and treatment services, and shorten the duration of treatment.

The National Tuberculosis Program employs modern techniques that deliver fast and accurate results; these methods are recommended by WHO to detect and register missed tuberculosis cases and reduce community transmission.

Engaging organizations outside the program’s network to participate helps in the early detection of tuberculosis cases and supports the integration of TB treatment into clinical services for children, which is also a priority of the program.

Since 2004, the Global Fund’s contributions to the National Tuberculosis Program have exceeded 256 million USD. For the 2024–2026 period, the Fund has committed an additional 64 million USD to support the program, aiming to end tuberculosis by 2035.

In 2021, despite the impact of COVID-19, the program continued its operations, detecting and treating 78,935 tuberculosis patients with a treatment success rate of 91%.