As eight provinces and cities have reported a slowdown of hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD), the Ministry of Health has decided not to announce a HFMD pandemic.
The decision was announced yesterday by Deputy Minister of Health Trinh Quan Huan at an online conference with eight provinces and cities that have been most affected by HFMD: Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Binh Duong, Tien Giang, and Ben Tre.
“For the time being, the ministry does not declare a pandemic as the number of new cases has deceased and all of the most affected provinces and cities have put it under control,” Huan said.
The disease reached its peak in Ho Chi Minh City on June 22 with 101 new cases but the figure has gone down to 30-40 cases per day in the past four days, said Dr Pham Viet Thanh, Director of the HCMC Health Department
Similarly in Tien Giang, the number of new patients has dropped from 58 per day a few weeks ago to 5-10 at present.
Statistics from the Epidemiological Hygiene Institute and the Pasteur institutes countrywide also showed that the total number of new patients have gradually dropped, according to the ministry’s Preventive Health Department.
Dr. Huan urged all of the 8 provinces and cities to continue their efforts to further drive back HFMD from now until the year’s end. “Otherwise, the disease may spread again and a pandemic will occur next year.”
Huan also said that many local governments had yet to earmark 30 percent of its health budget for prevention and control of diseases, including HFMD, as required by Resolution 18 of the National Assembly, adding that by August 25, all provinces and cities must submit their detailed plan to cope with HFMD to the ministry.
As of yesterday, HFMD has spread to 52 provinces and cities, affecting more than 35,000 people and killing 83. HCMC continues to be the most severely hit with 7,683 patients and 24 deaths.
