The Director of the Department of Animal Health emphasizes that the most important measure to prevent avian influenza is to implement a comprehensive set of solutions, including the immediate planning and establishment of concentrated areas for poultry farming, slaughtering, and trading, far away from residential areas.
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Dr. Bui Quang Anh, Director of the Department of Animal Health |
On October 20, in an interview with reporters, Dr. Bui Quang Anh, Director of the Department of Animal Health (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), stated that although from August until now, the avian influenza situation nationwide has calmed down, with no new outbreaks or infected patients reported with the H5N1 influenza virus, the pathogen still exists and poses a significant risk of resurgence.
“According to assessments from global experts, Vietnam is currently in the third phase of six in the avian influenza outbreak, meaning there have been human infections from poultry, but no human-to-human transmission has occurred,” said Bui Quang Anh. “Therefore, based on the emergency action plan for preventing avian influenza and the pandemic in humans recently announced by the Government, localities need to develop their own specific plans, mobilize all resources, and apply all measures to prevent a pandemic. For the veterinary sector, the current focus is on effectively implementing the vaccination plan for poultry.”
According to the Director, while some localities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Ha Tay are urgently implementing epidemic prevention projects, many provinces and cities are still sluggish. Many sectors and localities have not considered avian influenza prevention as a crucial and urgent issue, and have not allocated adequate time, human resources, or funding for this work. Additionally, there remains a sense of complacency among the public.
Dr. Bui Quang Anh noted that 37 provinces and cities across the country have begun vaccination efforts, with over 56 million doses of vaccine administered, all of which must be imported from abroad. He mentioned that in the long term, research institutions and scientific agencies such as the Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and the Veterinary Institute need to focus on developing domestic vaccine production.
