Timely detection and thorough handling of infectious disease outbreaks

15:00, 14/08/2023

The Department of Preventive Medicine ( Ministry of Health ) has just sent a document to the Directors of the Department of Health of provinces and cities on strengthening disease prevention work during floods, flash floods, inundation, and landslides.

According to the Department of Preventive Medicine , recently, the impact of El Nino has had a negative impact on our country with unusual weather developments and many unpredictable natural disasters, especially sudden and prolonged heavy rains in some localities, which can cause flash floods, inundation, subsidence, and landslides, greatly affecting people's lives, property, and daily life.

According to forecasts, in the coming time, there will likely be more storms with heavy rain and very heavy rain causing floods and inundation in many places, which are favorable conditions that can increase the risk of environmental pollution and disease outbreaks in areas affected by heavy rain, flash floods, inundation, and landslides.

Spraying chemicals to kill mosquitoes that transmit dengue fever in Thanh Nhat ward (Buon Ma Thuot city)

To proactively prevent epidemics and ensure people's health, the Department of Preventive Medicine recommends that directors of provincial and municipal health departments proactively review and assess disease risks in areas likely to be affected by natural disasters, especially areas that may be flooded, flash floods, and landslides; be ready and proactively deploy disease prevention plans when situations arise; consolidate and maintain mobile anti-epidemic teams to support lower levels in monitoring and handling epidemics and infectious diseases circulating in conditions of heavy rain, flash floods, floods, and landslides.

Along with that, organize monitoring, timely detection and thorough handling of infectious disease outbreaks occurring before, during and after floods, flash floods, inundation, landslides such as: diarrhea, pink eye, respiratory tract infections, athlete's foot, flu, dengue fever, especially need to be on guard against diseases transmitted through the digestive tract such as diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid; organize propaganda, guide people in areas at risk of being affected by floods, flash floods, inundation, landslides to implement disease prevention measures, other hygiene measures according to recommendations on disease prevention measures posted in the media.

The Department of Preventive Medicine also requested the health departments of provinces and cities to ensure human resources, drugs, chemicals, equipment and facilities for the prevention of infectious diseases in localities in areas affected by floods, flash floods, inundation and landslides. Organize inspections and supervision of the implementation of activities to prevent and respond to natural disasters, epidemics and ensure health in the area.

Hong Chuyen

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