Saturday, November 28, 2009

Vietnam: Crackdown ordered on disease transmission

November 27, 2009

They health ministry has warned of an increase in transmitted diseases and ordered health agencies in 31 cities and provinces in the north experiencing weather changes to step up preventive measures.

These agencies should also focus on medicines in schools, the dangers of smoking, child injuries and the difference in the quality of healthcare services between the regions, Minister of Health Nguyen Quoc Trieu told a conference on preventive medicine in Hanoi on Tuesday.

He also instructed concerned agencies to enforce the supervision and management of epidemics in an effort to curb the spread of transmitted diseases.

Despite huge investments in preventive medicine, the transmission of diseases has not received due attention, he said, adding that preventive medicines cost up to 30 percent of the annual budget that the State allocates to the health sector.

According to a report released recently by the Health Ministry, there has been a re-emergence of several transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, A/H5N1 and A/H1 N1 flu, due to weather changes and environmental pollution.

The ministry also warned that 27 percent of all diseases are transmitted by viruses, seriously impacting the nation’s socioeconomic development.

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