Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc initiated a campaign to improve national public health on Wednesday morning.

As he addressed attendees during a launch ceremony in Hanoi, the premier said there are ways “that take little time and money but are extremely effective” for people to take care of their health.

“Eat less salt and more vegetables and take wholesome physical exercise,” he elaborated.

Vietnam’s average life expectancy is just over 73 but 63 is the average maximum age when people remain healthy, he said.

This means a number of Vietnamese people live in bad health for nearly ten years of their life, he added.

The proportion of people taking regular exercise makes up around 23 percent of the national population, according to Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien.

The campaign, called Vietnam Health, involves encouranging healthy practices such as consuming less sugar and salt, walking 10,000 steps daily and doing more workouts.

People will also be advised to have regular medical checks for the early diagnosis of diseases.

The campaign is being jointly run by the health, education and sports ministries.

From left: Vietnam’s national soccer team coach Park Hang Seo, WHO representative Nam Kidong Park and Vietnamese officials sit on bicycles during a ceremony to launch a nationwide health campaign in Hanoi, Vietnam, February 27, 2019. Photo: Thuy Anh / Tuoi Tre

The South Korean coach of Vietnam’s national football team, Park Hang Seo, was appointed ‘goodwill ambassador’ for the campaign.

“I hope the country will have more healthy young people good at football so that Vietnam’s dream of playing at the FIFA World Cup comes true,” he said.

Approved by PM Phuc in September last year, the Vietnam Health program sets a broad spectrum of goals from now to 2025, such as reducing the number of children suffering from rickets and people with obesity, and increasing the average height of young people.

It also aims to bring down alcoholic overconsumption and contain smoking amongst male adults.

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