One Health anchors Viet Nam-U.S. health security ties

On the morning of April 14, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien met with Dr Rebecca Bunnell, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State.

Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien met with Dr. Rebecca Bunnell, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of State. Photo: Quynh Chi

The meeting aimed to clarify coordination mechanisms and the roles of both countries in implementing the Global Health Security Program.

The U.S.-led program seeks to strengthen national capacity for early detection, prevention and timely response to emerging infectious diseases and zoonotic diseases. The goal is to protect public health, reduce the risk of outbreaks, and address cross-border health threats

According to Phung Duc Tien, the recent period has marked an important transition in Viet Nam-U.S. cooperation, demonstrating how foreign relations and scientific and technical collaboration complement bilateral trade activities.

At the meeting, Dr Nguyen Van Long, Director General of the Department of Science and Technology under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, expressed appreciation for long-standing U.S. support through agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). This support has helped Viet Nam strengthen management capacity and modernize its livestock and veterinary sectors.

In particular, the ministry’s system of 10 livestock and veterinary laboratories now meets ISO/IEC 17025 standards, including one biosafety laboratory with facilities for experimental work and animal testing. This provides a solid foundation for effectively receiving and implementing technical assistance components.

“In the coming period, we will continue to strengthen animal disease surveillance systems in a more proactive direction, linked with early warning and rapid response. At the same time, we will focus on emerging diseases, zoonotic diseases and those posing significant risks to public health and food safety,” Long said.

He also called on the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Viet Nam to continue supporting One Health-based programs, particularly by strengthening grassroots-level surveillance and early warning systems. For central laboratories, once operations are stable, the goal should be to master technologies, making continued capacity building and technology transfer essential.

From the U.S. side, Rebecca Bunnell congratulated Viet Nam on its achievements and affirmed that cooperation would increasingly shift toward helping Viet Nam achieve technological self-reliance.

She said both sides could work toward a strong partnership in epidemic response, particularly in enhancing surveillance of zoonotic and emerging infectious diseases.

“If an outbreak occurs, mechanisms for sharing biological samples would enable the U.S. to support Viet Nam more effectively in analyzing and assessing those samples,” she noted.

The United States also reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening partnerships in disease surveillance and ensuring the implementation of One Health commitments.

Responding to the U.S. side, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien welcomed efforts to advance cooperation under the Global Health Security Program.

He stressed that both sides should remain committed to the One Health approach, focusing on strengthening surveillance capacity, early warning systems, testing, and ensuring biosafety and biosecurity.

Delegates from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam pose for a group photo. Photo: Quynh Chi.

He also called on the U.S. to continue prioritizing One Health-related components and the veterinary sector within its cooperation framework with Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

Cooperation in the veterinary field between U.S. government agencies and Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has played an important role in strengthening partnerships in disease surveillance.