Strengthening propaganda work, proactively preventing epidemics

(Baonghean.vn) -Implementing the Prime Minister's telegram on strengthening the prevention of A/H5N1 flu in humans, hand, foot and mouth disease and dengue fever, on October 20, at the Government Office, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan and Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien chaired an online conference on "Strengthening epidemic prevention in the last 3 months of 2012 and the 2013 epidemic prevention plan".

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong spoke at the meeting

Attending the Conference were representatives of Party, Government, National Assembly agencies, departments and unions, leaders of 11 relevant ministries and branches, institutes, hospitals, representatives of People's Committees, departments and medical centers of 63 provinces and cities nationwide. At Nghe An province, Comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee chaired, and also attended were representatives of leaders of departments, branches, 20 districts, cities and medical units in the province.

At the online conference, the leaders of the Ministry of Health informed about a number of newly emerging epidemics and the complicated epidemic situation in the world. Affirming the achievements in disease prevention, our country has maintained the results of eliminating polio and neonatal tetanus in the past 10 years. The morbidity and mortality rates due to vaccine-preventable diseases have gradually decreased steadily... Since the beginning of the year, the whole country has recorded more than 100,000 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease in 63 localities, including more than 40 deaths (down 4 times compared to the same period last year). Dengue fever has an increasing trend with more than 51,000 cases, including 42 deaths, concentrated in the South and Central regions. In recent times, although all levels and sectors have implemented many epidemic prevention activities, the results are still limited. The reason is that people have not voluntarily participated in disease prevention in the community. Some localities have not had strong direction, the participation of departments, branches and organizations in epidemic prevention work is not active and strong. The infectious disease surveillance system is still passive, the detection of cases, zoning and handling of epidemics have not been effective. At the conference, delegates also focused on discussing epidemic prevention work in the last months of 2012 and the plan for 2013.

In Nghe An, in the first 9 months of the year, there were no major epidemics, only minor epidemics such as dengue fever and some contagious diseases such as hand, foot and mouth disease, diarrhea. The work of monitoring and proactively preventing epidemics has been deployed synchronously and effectively at all levels, contributing to preventing and suppressing epidemics and preventing them from spreading. In 2013, Nghe An health sector set a target of ensuring the detection of over 80% of epidemics; 100% of detected epidemics must be handled promptly, especially dangerous epidemics, newly emerging diseases such as influenza A H5N1, hand, foot and mouth disease, cholera, dengue fever... Reduce the incidence and mortality of infectious diseases causing epidemics, diseases in the expanded immunization program. Strengthen the socialization of epidemic prevention. Improve the level of epidemic monitoring and handling of preventive health workers at all levels.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan highly appreciated the efforts of the health sector in preventing and fighting epidemics, and at the same time requested the Ministry of Health and localities to focus on solving 4 key infectious diseases: rabies, flu, hand, foot and mouth disease and dengue fever. The health sector and the education sector need to conduct a general inspection of the risk of disease prevention nationwide according to the following specific criteria: washing hands, eating cooked food, drinking boiled water, sleeping under mosquito nets and killing mosquito larvae. For households, it is necessary to check and evaluate 3 works: bathrooms, wells and ponds. For children, it is necessary to check and evaluate: eating clean, drinking clean, playing clean. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development needs to pay attention to controlling avian influenza and rabies which are at risk of outbreak, especially in the northern mountainous provinces. The Ministry of Health coordinates with the Ministry of Information and Communications to develop a propaganda outline on disease prevention in 2013.

Receiving the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan, comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong requested medical units in the province and related departments, branches and localities to proactively develop disease prevention plans for their units, emphasizing the role of urban districts in propagating and mobilizing people to actively participate in disease prevention./.

Thanh Chung