ĐÀ NẴNG — The Việt Nam Respiratory Society (VNRS) and GSK Việt Nam have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a strategic partnership aimed at advancing scientific progress, raising respiratory care standards, and improving patient outcomes nationwide.

The signing ceremony took place within the framework of the VNRS 13th Annual Scientific Conference in Đà Nẵng City in July.

Under the agreement, the two sides will focus on three key areas: improving clinical guidelines, enhancing expertise, and empowering patients.

They will create updated management guidelines covering every stage of care, from early detection to long-term treatment.

They will support professional capacity and international integration through scientific conferences, CME programmes, research, and exchange networks.

They will also launch public health campaigns to boost disease prevention, encourage timely screening, and help patients stick to their treatment plans.

The collaboration aligns with the conference's central theme, “Cooperation for Lung Health”, which advocates a shift from symptomatic control to comprehensive, long-term disease management and personalised care.

During the conference, experts highlighted three core pillars of care: prevention through adult immunisation (RSV, flu, pneumococcal, and shingles); long-term disease control via inhaled therapies; and targeted treatment using advanced biologics, such as Việt Nam's first IL-5 antibody therapy for severe asthma.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Prof. Dr. Ngô Quý Châu, president of the Việt Nam Respiratory Society, highlighted the growing burden of respiratory illnesses in Việt Nam.

"To improve treatment outcomes, we need to shift from an approach focused on symptomatic treatment to comprehensive disease management, from prevention and disease control to personalised treatment.” 

With its solid scientific foundation and decades of leadership in the field, GSK will serve as a strategic partner to promote advanced care standards and capacity building, he added.

Dr. Phạm Thị Mỹ Liên, President of GSK Việt Nam, said: "We believe the future of respiratory care lies in effectively connecting the prevention of vaccine-preventable infectious diseases, disease control, and targeted treatment."

Through this strategic partnership, VNRS and GSK aim to elevate respiratory care standards nationwide, strengthen medical capability, and support patients on every step of their treatment journey, she said. — VNS