Child care and disease prevention

Changing weather is one of the causes of many illnesses in children, typically diseases such as influenza, measles, diarrhea, dengue fever, etc. Therefore, proactive care and disease prevention for children are a priority for the health sector, aiming to strengthen children's immunity.

The Ha Phong Ward Health Station (Ha Long City) is administering measles vaccinations to children in the fishing village.

Recently, the measles situation among children has become increasingly complex. Given the potential for the disease to spread, the province has launched a province-wide measles vaccination campaign starting in March 2025.

To implement the plan, the entire province established 190 vaccination teams in communes, wards, towns, and at 3 hospitals: the Provincial General Hospital, the Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, and the Vietnam-Sweden Uong Bi Hospital to carry out the vaccination campaign; established 45 emergency response teams on standby at hospitals and health centers in districts, towns, and cities; and arranged 171 expanded immunization points at health stations, 20 points at schools, and 8 points at sub-stations. The goal is to ensure that 95% of eligible children who have not been vaccinated or have not received all the required doses of the measles-containing vaccine receive one dose of the measles-containing vaccine.

The fishing village resettlement area (Zone 8, Ha Phong Ward, Ha Long City) is home to many fishermen who were relocated from fishing villages to the shore nearly 10 years ago. However, due to the nature of their work, which involves frequent seafaring, vaccination for children here has not been fully implemented. This has led to the appearance and spread of measles in the community in recent times.

The provincial CDC is monitoring the vitamin A supplementation campaign for children in Hai Ha district.

Dr. Vuong Thanh Nga, Head of the Ha Phong Ward Health Station, said: “Currently, there is no specific cure for measles, and the most important thing for children is to get them fully vaccinated. However, due to the nature of their work, many families have not had their children vaccinated or have not completed all the necessary vaccinations. Therefore, we have had to review the list in the area, disseminate information, and encourage families to bring their children for timely vaccination to prevent the spread of the disease.”

Besides implementing vaccination campaigns to prevent diseases in children, supplementing micronutrients is essential for children. Vitamin A, in particular, is a vital micronutrient that strengthens the immune system, improves vision, and supports children's development. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to serious health problems such as xerophthalmia (dry eye disease), vision impairment, and increased risk of infections. Therefore, the health sector has intensified health check-ups, height and weight measurements to assess children's nutritional status, and especially implemented vitamin A supplementation programs at commune and ward health stations.

To achieve the goals of the National Strategy on Child Nutrition for the period 2021-2025, provincial departments have coordinated the organization of numerous health and nutrition care programs for mothers and children. The provincial health sector has also intensified activities to provide nutritional counseling and care during the first 1,000 days of a child's life, integrating it into prenatal care at health stations and in the community. Healthcare facilities effectively implement essential care procedures for mothers and newborns during and immediately after birth. For normal deliveries, counseling is provided to encourage early breastfeeding within the first hour after birth at health stations where delivery is assisted.

The Bình Liêu Town Health Station provides vaccinations for children in the area.

At the health stations, screening and nutritional assessment are conducted for pregnant mothers three times per pregnancy per person, and every three months per child for children under 2 years old; nutritional counseling is also provided for young children under 2 years old… The health stations also provide home healthcare for mothers and newborns during the first 42 days after birth, aiming to monitor the health of both mother and newborn during the first six weeks at home.

As a result, the national nutrition strategy in the province has been strengthened from the provincial to the commune level. At the provincial level, there is the Quang Ninh CDC; at the district level, there are dedicated nutrition officers in 13 districts, towns, and cities. 100% of communes have dedicated nutrition officers and nutrition collaborators, making a significant contribution to the prevention and control of malnutrition in children.

Van Anh

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/cham-care-and-prevention-of-diseases-for-children-3354836.html