AstraZeneca Vietnam and Bright Future Fund Cooperate to Advance Comprehensive Healthcare and Health Equity in Vietnam

Recently, AstraZeneca Vietnam and The Cancer Patient Support Fund - Bright Future (Bright Future Fund) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on comprehensive healthcare for cancer patients and to promote healthcare equity in Vietnam. The signing event was attended by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Xuyen, Chair of the Bright Future Fund; Atul Tandon, General Director of AstraZeneca Vietnam; members of the Fund’s Board of Management; and other relevant stakeholders.

According to GLOBOCAN 2022, Vietnam estimated 180,480 new cancer cases and 120,184 cancer deaths. Breast, liver, and lung cancers were the most prevalent, with rising incidence and mortality rates.

While advancements in science, government support, and collaboration effort of  the Ministry of Health with businesses, and healthcare organizations have expanded access to cancer treatments through health insurance coverage, challenges still persist. Over 70% of Vietnamese cancer patients are diagnosed at late stages², leading to lower survival rates compared to developed countries.

Cancer patients also require comprehensive care, including nutrition, psychological support, physical activity, and adverse event management, to enhance treatment outcomes and extend life expectancy.

Therefore, this MOU will extend the long-standing cooperation between AstraZeneca and the Bright Future Fund, simultaneously promoting programmemes and initiatives aimed at comprehensive patient care, early screening awareness, improved treatment access, and enhanced quality of life for cancer patients. Ultimately, this collaboration contributes to achieving healthcare equity and aims to eliminate cancer as a leading cause of death in Vietnam.

According to the memorandum, AstraZeneca and the Bright Future Fund will jointly implement the following activities:

• Comprehensive patient care: Providing comprehensive healthcare programmemes, from nutrition, psychology to adverse event management.
• Providing appropriate financial support for patients to reduce patient financial burdens, increase treatment access, and improve treatment adherence.
• Raising community awareness about early lung cancer screening to increase early-stage lung cancer diagnosis rates.
• Building and developing networks/centers for innovation, digital transformation, research and application of advanced technologies and AI in healthcare.
• Establishing, organising, and implementing cancer patient clubs in the oncology departments of hospitals.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Xuyen, Chairwoman of the Bright Future Fund said: "With continued cooperation, I hope both parties will expand the scope and depth of comprehensive healthcare activities, enhance quality of life, provide financial solutions for patients, and bolster cancer education and communication. By centering our efforts on the patient, I believe this collaboration will yield substantial, long-term benefits for patients and contribute to the advancement of oncology and the overall Vietnamese healthcare sector"

Through various initiatives such as the "Love your lungs" programmeme (2023), the breast cancer diagnosis and early detection programme (2019 - 2023), the public awareness campaign on lung cancer (2023), AstraZeneca and the Bright Future Fund have enhanced community awareness of early cancer screening; Increasing the rate of early-stage diagnosis for patients with advanced  technology while implementing disease screening programmes for high-risk groups.

Additinally, the Love Your Lungs website (www.thuongphoi.vn) and its associated Facebook/Zalo communities have provided comprehensive information on lung cancer diagnosis and treatment advancements. Currently, these platforms have attracted thousands of members and followers.

At the signing ceremony, Mr. Atul Tandon - General Director of AstraZeneca Vietnam expressed his appreciation for the efforts that the Fund has brought to patients over 13 years of establishment.

"At AstraZeneca, our ambition is to eliminate cancer as a cause of death. I believe that the cooperation agreement with the Bright Future Fund will be a vital extension of our efforts to deliver comprehensive healthcare solutions, empowering cancer patients to overcome challenges and live fulfilling lives. By combining advanced science, resources, expertise, and unwavering commitment, we will drive positive and lasting change for patients, communities, and the overall health system towards sustainability and equity”, he shared.

Atul also highlighted that these specific actions demonstrate AstraZeneca Vietnam's dedication to fulfilling the commitment to enhance collaborative programs aimed at comprehensively improving healthcare for the people of Vietnam, which was initially outlined in the comprehensive cooperation agreement between AstraZeneca Vietnam and the Ministry of Health in 2023.

H.N (Vietnam Business Forum)