Preventing hand, foot, and mouth disease: Starting with awareness.

(Baonghean)From the beginning of 2012 to the present, the whole country has recorded more than 21,000 cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease, including 29 patients in Nghe An province. Compared to other localities nationwide, in our province, hand, foot, and mouth disease has appeared later, is milder, and not as prevalent. However, it is predicted that the disease will continue to develop in a complex manner in the coming time, and our province is implementing drastic measures to prevent and control its spread.

After the first hand, foot, and mouth disease case was detected in Nghia Dan district in July 2010 (to date, the number of cases in our province is over 300), the Nghe An Health Department dispatched working groups to inspect, review, and direct disease response efforts. The Provincial Center for Preventive Medicine also established working groups to visit facilities to strengthen disease prevention measures, and all localities have established Steering Committees for Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease Prevention and Control. Recognizing that preschool-aged children are at the highest risk of contracting hand, foot, and mouth disease, the Health Department has focused on coordinating with the Education Department to organize disinfection spraying and improve classroom hygiene to prevent the disease.

Caring for children with hand, foot, and mouth disease at Nghe An Pediatric Hospital.

At Chau Hoi Commune Kindergarten in Quy Chau District, at the beginning of each school day, the teachers thoroughly wash the children's toys under running water in the schoolyard. Ms. Doan Thi Hoa, the school principal, said: "The teachers regularly clean the children's toys to prevent hand, foot, and mouth disease. In addition, the school has announced the dangers of the disease through the loudspeaker system and on the information board in front of the school so that parents know how to prevent it. The school has also renovated all the sanitary facilities to prevent the entry of germs and bacteria."

Not only at Chau Hoi Commune Kindergarten but also at all schools in Quy Chau district, training and guidance have been provided to effectively prevent and control hand, foot, and mouth disease, as well as to maintain hygiene and disinfect school premises. To date, Quy Chau district has only had one case of the disease. According to Mr. Nguyen Van Hanh, Director of the District Health Center, this result is due to the district's proactive efforts in prevention, monitoring, and early detection of the disease. Health workers in the 12 communes and towns have actively encouraged and educated the people, especially families with young children, to maintain cleanliness for their children and prevent the spread of pathogens. The district has established a rapid response team and a mobile team; at the same time, each commune has also established a mobile team consisting of clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory departments to detect and prevent outbreaks promptly. The district's health staff have been trained and strictly adhere to the daily disease reporting regime.

Dr. Duong Cong Hoat, Director of the Children's Hospital, said: "In our province, hand-foot-mouth disease has three distinctive characteristics: it appears late, is mild, and the number of cases is not high. However, we should not be complacent about the disease. Every family must be vigilant against this epidemic and pay more attention to their children. Even just one or two sores in the mouth or on the palms and soles of the feet should raise suspicion of hand-foot-mouth disease; don't wait until it appears in all places, and take the child to a medical facility for examination immediately. However, parents should not panic because the disease is completely curable. Patients who seek early treatment at the hospital have all recovered..." According to Dr. Hoat, public awareness campaigns will have a significant impact on disease prevention, especially in schools, organizations, and associations.

Mr. Hoang Ngoc Dan, Deputy Head of the Department of Infectious Disease Control and Biological Vaccines, Provincial Center for Preventive Medicine, predicted that hand, foot, and mouth disease is increasingly spreading rapidly and widely, with a higher number of cases compared to previous years due to complications from the highly virulent Enterovirus 71 strain appearing more frequently than the older strain... Therefore, the provincial health sector in particular, and local authorities, departments, and organizations in general, are actively involved. We are strengthening disease surveillance and monitoring. Through monitoring in schools and residential areas, we have observed that most preschool teachers and community members have gained more knowledge about hand, foot, and mouth disease. However, this understanding is still somewhat limited, and people have not yet fully grasped and correctly implemented measures to prevent and control hand, foot, and mouth disease. The Provincial Center for Preventive Medicine has proposed organizing a week-long campaign to raise public awareness about hand, foot, and mouth disease, tentatively scheduled for the end of April.

In reality, the health sector can only implement professional measures and provide guidance, but lacks the capacity to reach the community level in disease prevention and control. Therefore, to effectively prevent and control hand, foot, and mouth disease, relevant departments and agencies need to further strengthen public awareness campaigns about this disease, helping people develop self-awareness to protect their families' health, which remains the most important thing. Simultaneously, the cooperation of families, schools, and the health sector in prevention and ensuring the health of students is crucial. Accordingly, the health sector recommends that all families maintain hygiene, eat cooked food, and drink boiled water to ensure the health of their family and loved ones, avoiding unfortunate incidents...

Thanh Chung