(VOV) - Improving people’s health is a strategic target of Vietnam’s healthcare sector from now to 2020, Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said at the 66th session of the World Health Assembly.

Tien is leading a 27 -member delegation to the session now underway in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 20-28. Ms. Tien emphasized that the prevention of infectious and non-infectious diseases such as leprosy, tuberculosis, malaria, AIDS, cancer, and diabetes has been made into national health programmes. The event offers health experts and managers a chance to work out action plans for their own countries. Vietnam’s efforts in controlling infectious diseases such as SARS, bird flu, and tuberculosis have been praised by the international community. Vietnam was one of the first countries in the world to bring the SARS epidemic under control.