Testing body temprature of passengers crossing the Moc Bai International Border Gate in Tay Ninh province (Source: VNA)It is necessary to enhance quarantine efforts and communication campaigns raising public awareness in border areas to prevent cross-border infectious diseases from spreading, said a medical official from Rattanakiri province, Cambodia.
Ung Rattana, Director of the Health Department of Rattanakiri province, made the suggestion during a conference held in the central city of Da Nang on October 6, which aimed to share experience, update information on related infectious diseases in border areas and discuss effective prevention measures.
The event, organised by the Central Highlands Institute of Epidemic Prevention, brought together participants from health departments of the central Highlands provinces of Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Lak and Dak Nong as well as Da Nang city, and representatives from Laos’ Attapeu province and Cambodia’s Ratanakiri province.
Speaking at the event, Director of the institute Dr. Pham Tho Duoc underlined the importance of promoting infectious disease information sharing in the border areas of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to contain their development and spread.
Attendees heard reports on the development of infectious diseases and an overview of emerging diseases in border provinces of the three countries, thus debating and putting forward measures to control cross-border infectious diseases in the future.
According to the Central Highlands Institute of Epidemic Prevention, the region has yet to record any highly dangerous infectious diseases. However, global climate change and increasing trade activities among countries are contributing to disease outbreaks.
Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia are still facing outbreaks of dangerous infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, seasonal flu, measles, hand-foot-mouth disease, rabies, bird flu and especially plague , which is at a high risk of flaring up again.
Ung Rattana stressed that the countries need to increase cooperation in supervising diseases transmitted from animals to humans and focus on other community health care operations.
Meanwhile, Deputy Director of the Health Department of Attapeu province Cham Thavong called for closer coordination and mutual support among the three countries’ localities along the shared border line in order to prevent infectious disease outbreaks.-VNA
