Vietnam is likely to face the spread of dangerous infectiousdiseases in 2015 such as Ebola, bird flu, hand-foot-and-mouth disease,and measles, especially in zones with large population fluctuationsand ethnic minority areas, said Tran Dac Phu, Director of the Ministryof Health’s General Department of Preventive Medicine.
Duringa recent interview with a Vietnam News Agency correspondent, Phustressed that the World Health Organisation is forecasting an outbreakof several common diseases, including tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV, asa result of drug resistance, frequent cross-border travel, climatechange, and environmental pollution, among other factors. He also notedthat Ebola has yet been controlled.
The Ministry has beenproactively rolling out measures to address infection risks, focusing ontightening supervision to timely detect the first instances of diseaseand intensifying mass media communication efforts to raise publicawareness of disease prevention and symptoms, Phu said.
He notedthat major preventive measures will be deployed including preparationsto ensure medicine, materials, modern equipment and technologies areequipped and available.
In 2014, Vietnam effectively minimisedinfectious disease risk, as evidenced by successfully preventingEbola, MerS-CoV, bubonic plague, and virus strain A/ H7N9 fromentering the country, as well as experiencing a remarkable decrease inthe number of infections and deaths related to A/H1N1 avian influenza,dengue, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, malaria, and rabies, Phureported.
However, the country experienced a surge in measlespatients and fatalities, likely a result of low vaccine coverage in thecommunity, he noted.
The director underscored the need for theinvolvement of all-level authorities and the entire community in diseaseprevention, while simultaneously conducting broad coverage campaigns topopularise proactive disease prevention methods.
The Stateshould enact support policies to help enhance the capacity of thenational health sector, with special focus on the preventive healthsystem, to best prepare for any impending risk.-VNA
Duringa recent interview with a Vietnam News Agency correspondent, Phustressed that the World Health Organisation is forecasting an outbreakof several common diseases, including tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV, asa result of drug resistance, frequent cross-border travel, climatechange, and environmental pollution, among other factors. He also notedthat Ebola has yet been controlled.
The Ministry has beenproactively rolling out measures to address infection risks, focusing ontightening supervision to timely detect the first instances of diseaseand intensifying mass media communication efforts to raise publicawareness of disease prevention and symptoms, Phu said.
He notedthat major preventive measures will be deployed including preparationsto ensure medicine, materials, modern equipment and technologies areequipped and available.
In 2014, Vietnam effectively minimisedinfectious disease risk, as evidenced by successfully preventingEbola, MerS-CoV, bubonic plague, and virus strain A/ H7N9 fromentering the country, as well as experiencing a remarkable decrease inthe number of infections and deaths related to A/H1N1 avian influenza,dengue, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, malaria, and rabies, Phureported.
However, the country experienced a surge in measlespatients and fatalities, likely a result of low vaccine coverage in thecommunity, he noted.
The director underscored the need for theinvolvement of all-level authorities and the entire community in diseaseprevention, while simultaneously conducting broad coverage campaigns topopularise proactive disease prevention methods.
The Stateshould enact support policies to help enhance the capacity of thenational health sector, with special focus on the preventive healthsystem, to best prepare for any impending risk.-VNA
