Vietnam has announced that it has controlled the avian influenza outbreak but will stockpile one million doses of antiviral medication ahead of winter, when the avian virus is most likely to spread.
Deputy Minister of Health Trinh Quan Huan made this statement on Friday to a Reuters correspondent while attending a World Health Organization conference in Noumea, New Caledonia. He added that there have been no reported cases of avian influenza since July, and a vaccination program for approximately 260 million chickens and ducks nationwide is expected to be completed by November.
It is worth noting that Vietnam is at the forefront of the battle against avian influenza, and out of 64 fatalities due to the virus in Asia since late 2003, 44 occurred in Vietnam. Health experts have praised Vietnam’s efforts in combating avian influenza but also mentioned that there are still some deficiencies that need to be addressed, and authorities in Hanoi must enhance surveillance and reporting of the disease, especially in rural areas.
On Thursday, Nguyen Van Binh, Deputy Director of the Department of Preventive Health, announced that Vietnam has received 600,000 Tamiflu tablets for avian influenza from the Taiwanese government and plans to spend about $189,000 to purchase an additional 70,000 tablets.
Mr. Binh further stated that this antiviral medication will be distributed to provinces affected by avian influenza. According to him, the risk of avian influenza re-emerging in Vietnam remains high, particularly during the winter. Last week, the U.S. government decided to provide $2.5 million in aid to Vietnam for a five-year avian influenza monitoring project.
At a press conference in Hanoi on Thursday, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Michael Marine stated that the Vietnamese government is making a commendable effort to tackle a difficult issue, and the U.S. will provide further assistance.
According to Ambassador Marine, he believes that Vietnam will be a key participant in the international cooperation plan led by the United States to combat avian influenza and the global flu pandemic, which President Bush proposed last week at the United Nations summit.
Thu Huong (According to VOV News)
