Emerging disease surveillance and response

The Emerging Disease Surveillance and Response Programme (ESR) provides technical advice to appropriate departments, laboratories and hospitals responsible for epidemiological or clinical risk assessment. The ESR programme’s work focuses on disease surveillance and response in order to strengthen the country’s core capacities to prevent, detect and respond to emerging infectious disease threats, including hand, foot and mouth disease, avian influenza and pandemic influenza. This support has resulted in Viet Nam achieving a number of public health milestones including: developing, implementing and maintaining a Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP); strengthening country surveillance and response systems; implementing new food safety legislation; enhancing laboratory diagnostic capacity; and, developing an Infection Prevention and Control Master plan.

Under the ESR Programme, support is also provided to the Ministry of Health in developing and implementing the national action plan for health emergencies. Emergency humanitarian activities within the ESR Programme focus on the development of policy and guidelines on health emergencies and health emergency information management, strengthening health staff capacity in improving public awareness and information on health emergencies. The ESR programme works to strengthen coordination between government health sectors with International Non-Government Organizations (INGOs), Local Non-Government Organisations (LNGOs), UN agencies and donors.

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World Health Organization Representative Office Viet Nam
63 Tran Hung Dao Street
Ha Noi
Viet Nam
Telephone: +84 4 3943 3734 / 5 / 6
Facsimile: +84 4 3943 3740
E-mail: media.vtn@wpro.who.int