National campaign to fight hand-foot-mouth disease

With nine fatalities confirmed so far this year, the Health Ministry has launched a national campaign to prevent and combat hand-foot-mouth disease.

The national health watchdog says that up to 7,889 people were infected with the disease in 60 of 63 provinces and cities nationwide in the first six weeks of 2012. The epidemic tends to spread widely with various strains of the virus existing in the environment.

This agency has urged provinces and cities to execute the campaign in March and April this year.

The campaign will focus on efforts to raise awareness in households, especially among mothers and babysitters, and preventive measures at kindergartens and schools, including instructions on washing hands many times a day with soap and clean water.

In addition, medical establishments at all levels are requested to strengthen supervision and prepare resources for dealing with the epidemic.

At the launch ceremony on March 2, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked ministries and medical centres to engage more actively in this fight.

HFM disease increases 7-10 times in Mekong Delta

In the first two months of this year, Mekong Delta provinces have reported 200-500 cases of hand-foot-mouth (HFM) disease, including several fatalities.
 
The Dong Thap provincial Preventive Medicine Centre said HFM disease has been occurring since early this year, instead of in May like last year. There are around 70 cases reported each week, but some areas have declared up to 330 in one week. In January and February the province had 500 cases, including one death, seven times more than the same period last year.

Can Tho city Department of Health reported that as of the end of February it had 334 HFM patients, 10 times more than the same period last year. Vinh Long province also recorded 233 cases of HFM disease, including one death.

The medical sector forecasts that controlling the disease will be complicated. Since early this year it has appeared in most residential areas and outside schools. This indicates that public awareness of preventing the disease is limited. Anyone can be infected with the disease but childern under five are at the highest risk.

VNA/VOV