Viet Nam's Ministry of Health – action taken
Key public prevention messages from the Ministry include:
- Handwash with soap regularly
- Practice hygiene etiquette eg cough and sneeze into your sleeve or tissue
- Clean surfaces regularly
- Ventilate houses and limit use of air conditioners
- Disinfect nose and throat frequently
- Persons with influenza like illnesses should stay home, avoid crowded places
- Inform health sector immediately if you have travelled from an infected area and develop influenza like symptoms
Special note: many Vietnamese studying overseas are returning to Viet Nam for the summer holidays. Many will arrive from areas with identified A(H1N1) cases. These students and their parents are required to monitor their health closely for 7 days. If influenza like symptoms develop, parents are to isolate their children at home and contact health care providers immediately for further advice.
Viet Nam’s Ministry of Health has acted quickly to establish surveillance and contain measures to manage cases of A(H1N1).
Actions include:
- Enhancing surveillance for cases, prepare mobile teams to respond to any A(H1N1) cases detected, 24 hours a day;
- Conducting border quarantine activities to monitor/detect people with fever from affected areas
- National and provincial influenza pandemic committees convened;
- Hospitals and health care facilities nominated to handle cases, including isolation wards, equipment, supplies, and medicines available;
- Conducting surveillance activities, providing timely treatment suspected cases and predparedness for influenza A/(H1N1);
- Organizing training courses for health staff in 63 provinces on treatment, surveillance and communication influenza A/(H1N1; and, stockpiling medicine, equipment and supplies for outbreak prevention and response activities.
- Providing communication activities on mass media to increase awareness
- Provided additional 30 ambulances for localities for transfer of A(H1N1) patients.
- Implemented screening of travelers
- Established hotline for reporting possible H1N1 cases and to answer questions
- Issuing telegrams to health officials, media alerts, and situation reports
For the latest A (H1N1) information and action from the Ministry of Health please click here.
http://www.moh.gov.vn/homebyt/vn/portal/index.jsp