Pham Song, chairman of the association, said 4 percent of urban residents in Vietnam have the disease with 2.5 percent in rural areas, accounting for 4.5 million patients across the country.

The project aims to raise around US$5 million from individuals and businesses to establish consultancy channels and stronger connections between doctors and patients.

The funds will also be used for public education specifically targeting the most vulnerable such as overweight children and people who don’t do physical exercise.

Reported by Nam Son