This weekend will discuss declaring the end of the Covid-19 epidemic

On the afternoon of May 29, explaining at the discussion session on the results of thematic monitoring of issues related to Covid-19 prevention and control, Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan took time to answer delegates' opinions on whether Vietnam can confidently declare the end of the Covid-19 epidemic.

According to the Minister, on May 5, 2023, the World Health Organization announced that the Covid-19 epidemic is no longer a public health emergency of global concern, but the pandemic is not over.

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan. (Photo: QH)

Ms. Lan said that, implementing the Prime Minister 's direction, the Ministry of Health has presided over and worked with ministries and branches to develop a dossier to change the disease classification from group A infectious diseases to group B infectious diseases.

“To prepare for the announcement of the end of the Covid-19 epidemic, based on the provisions of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases and as expected, this weekend, the Prime Minister will chair a meeting of the National Steering Committee on Covid-19 Prevention and Control to discuss this content,” said Minister Dao Hong Lan.

In addition, Ms. Dao Hong Lan said that the Ministry of Health has developed a plan for sustainable control and management of the Covid-19 epidemic and proposed to include the Covid-19 vaccine in the regular vaccination program as recommended by the World Health Organization.

Regarding the policy of primary health care and preventive medicine, the Minister said that in 2018, the World Health Organization identified Vietnam as one of the few countries with a complete primary health care network, widely organized down to the villages and hamlets, and is a model that many countries in the world are interested in and learning from.

According to Ms. Lan, the grassroots health network is key to making Vietnam a bright spot in public health with higher health indicators than other countries at the same level of development.

Ms. Dao Hong Lan said that, implementing the direction of the Secretariat, the Ministry of Health has completed the dossier to build a directive on developing grassroots healthcare in the new situation to serve the need to strengthen the grassroots healthcare system and preventive healthcare.

It is expected that in June 2023, the Ministry of Health will submit this document to the Secretariat for approval with many contents related to the organizational model, implementation methods, and human resource consolidation.

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