Truong Trong Hoang, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Health Communication Center, announced the establishment of a hotline (08.9309878) for health consultations and inquiries regarding avian influenza. The hotline is currently operational during business hours and on Sunday afternoons.
“The center plans to expand to a 24/7 connection when the outbreak reaches its peak. However, even now, more than a dozen people call the hotline daily to inquire about avian influenza and whom to ask about the disease,” said Mr. Hoang.
Since mid-September, Ho Chi Minh City has taken the lead nationwide by launching flyers promoting “Avian Influenza Prevention Month,” which have been distributed to districts and local communities. The center is currently preparing to print two types of leaflets. The first type will warn and provide preventive measures against avian influenza (to be distributed to the public early next week). The second type will be tailored to address cases of avian influenza affecting humans and will be distributed immediately if the situation worsens.
To ensure information about the avian influenza outbreak reaches every household, Mr. Hoang mentioned that the city’s health communication center is also utilizing a network of health communication volunteers across districts and localities.
Pham Thanh Kien, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, stated that since the beginning of the month, the ward has been promoting avian influenza prevention to the management boards of six neighborhoods and 108 local groups in the area. This includes comprehensive inspections of households raising chickens, ducks, pigeons, ornamental birds, and fighting cocks, as well as restaurants, hotels, and plans for the disposal and handling of live poultry, poultry meat, and poultry products that have not undergone quarantine after November 15. A promotional vehicle has also been dispatched to various areas within the ward to inform about preventive measures against the outbreak and to educate those not involved in poultry raising or slaughtering.
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Ben Thanh Ward, District 1 has initiated a campaign to raise awareness about avian influenza among local neighborhoods. |
On the morning of November 11, Ben Thanh Ward took the initiative to inform visitors at Tao Dan Park and requested them to voluntarily cease raising and bringing birds into the park. This park is known for hosting hundreds of birdcages daily for songbird competitions. Nghia, a regular bird enthusiast at the park, commented, “I’ve heard plenty about the flu, but my birds, which cost at least 2 million dong each, are kept in cages indoors, so there’s no way they can catch the flu, right?!”
On November 11, Nguyen Thien Nhan, Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City and Head of the Avian Influenza Prevention Steering Committee, announced that the city would allocate 400 million dong for public awareness campaigns.
Ho Chi Minh City has recently established six inspection teams to monitor the implementation of the emergency plan for avian influenza prevention and response set by the city government. On November 12, these teams will inspect the cessation of small-scale poultry raising, as well as activities at local markets and hotspots. On November 19, the teams will check on the cessation of poultry raising at larger registered operations and households raising ornamental birds. At the end of each day, the teams must report their findings to the Standing Committee of the Avian Influenza Prevention Steering Committee in the city and suggest any necessary recommendations. |
Phan Anh – Thanh Luong
