Enhancement of epidemic prevention and control before, during, and after No.3 typhoon and floods in Vietnam

Enhancement of epidemic prevention and control before, during, and after No.3 typhoon and floods in Vietnam (Image from the internet)

On September 6, 2024, the Department of Preventive Medicine issued Official Dispatch 846/DP-DT regarding the enhancement of disease prevention before, during, and after No.3 typhoon and floods.

Enhancement of epidemic prevention and control before, during, and after No.3 typhoon and floods in Vietnam

According to the update on No.3 typhoon by the National Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Center, with a strong level, the typhoon is continuing to move towards the Gulf of Tonkin and will directly affect the provinces and cities in the Northern and Central regions. Forecasts indicate that due to the impact and remnants of No.3 typhoon, heavy to very heavy rain will lead to floods and inundations in many areas, providing favorable conditions for increased environmental pollution and outbreak of diseases in regions affected by rain, floods, flash floods, and landslides. Implementing Official Telegram 1101/CD-BYT dated September 5, 2024, from the Ministry of Health of Vietnam regarding proactive implementation of health measures to respond to No.3 typhoon and floods, to proactively prevent diseases and health consequences for the people, the Department of Preventive Medicine requests the Director of the Department of Health to urgently direct the implementation of specific tasks as follows:

- Proactively review and assess disease risks in areas likely to be affected by No.3 typhoon, especially areas prone to rain, floods, flash floods, and landslides; be ready and proactive in implementing disease prevention measures when situations arise; strengthen and maintain the emergency response disease teams to support lower levels in monitoring and handling disease outbreaks, infectious diseases prevalent in conditions of rain, floods, flash floods, and landslides.

- Organize prompt surveillance, detection, and thorough handling of infectious disease outbreaks occurring before, during, and after No.3 typhoon in areas affected by rain, floods, flash floods, and landslides such as: diarrhea, conjunctivitis, respiratory infections, athlete's foot, influenza, dengue fever, with particular attention to diseases transmitted via the digestive tract such as diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, etc.

- Organize propaganda and guide the people in areas at risk of being affected by No.3 typhoon, areas suffering from rain, floods, flash floods, and landslides, to implement disease prevention measures and other hygiene measures according to the recommendations on disease prevention measures posted on the media.

- Ensure manpower, medicines, chemicals, equipment, and facilities to serve the prevention of infectious diseases in localities affected by No.3 typhoon, areas suffering from rain, floods, flash floods, and landslides.

- Organize inspections and supervision of the implementation of disaster response and disease prevention activities and ensure health care on-site.

- Report disease situations to the Department of Preventive Medicine (telephone: 024.38456255, fax: 024.37366241, email: baocaobtn@gmail.com) according to the regulations in Circular 54/2015/TT-BYT dated December 28, 2015, of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam.

The Department of Health is requested to direct the Centers for Disease Control to summarize and report the results of disease prevention activities to the Department of Preventive Medicine, which will aggregate and report to the Ministry of Health of Vietnam's leadership as prescribed.

More details can be found in Official Dispatch 846/DP-DT dated September 6, 2024.

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