Illustrative image (Source: VNA)Washington D.C (VNA) – The US stands ready tocooperate with Vietnam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)in the fight against the acute respiratory disease caused by the novelcoronavirus (COVID-19), US officials said at a recent meeting withrepresentatives of the Vietnamese Embassy in the country.
The meeting, which took place on February 19, saw theparticipation of Erika Elvander, Directorof the Asia-Pacific Office under the US Departmentof Health and Human Services,and Mitchell Wolfe, Chief Medical Officer of the US Centres forDisease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The US officials applauded Vietnam’s medicalcapacity, especially in the control of the epidemic.
Vietnamese leaders, from central to grassrootslevels, have issued timely instructions and taken comprehensive, drasticmeasures to combat the disease, they said, lauding Vietnam’s efforts inimproving public awareness of the virus.
The US side expressed its belief that with a goodmedical infrastructure system and a widespread vaccination network, Vietnamwill effectively combat the epidemic.
The US officials also praised Vietnam’s close, effectivecooperation in the work as the country has regularly exchanged relevantinformation and experience.
US scientists are joining efforts in the study ofCOVID-19 to seek preventive measures, they said, adding that some USlaboratories have developed a COVID-19 vaccine that could be ready for humantesting within two months and for use within six months to one year.
Regarding ASEAN-US cooperation, the US side saidVietnam, in its capacity as ASEAN Chair 2020, has promptly responded toCOVID-19 and raised initiatives in regional cooperation against the illness.
The US Department of Health andHuman Servicesis willing to step up medical collaboration with the ASEAN, particularly in thevirus fight, through the ASEAN-US mechanism and at international organisationssuch as the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The CDC plans to send aworking group to Vietnam in March to discuss cooperation and the establishmentof a CDC office in the Southeast Asian nation, the US officials said.
They added that US offices,including the International Reagent Resources, is ready to share their COVID-19research outcomes, exchange experts and provide test kits and personalprotection equipment for Vietnam to help the country improve is capacity tofight the disease.
At the meeting, theVietnamese side briefed the US officials on Vietnam’s prevention and control ofCOVID-19, and thanked the US for its cooperation over the past time.
The Vietnamese officialssuggested the US implement more projects to help Vietnam and ASEAN enhancetheir medical capacity, while further facilitating economic and trade ties aswell as people-to-people exchanges, especially at a time when Vietnam and theUS are celebrating the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties (1995-2020), andVietnam serves as ASEAN Chair 2020./.
VNA
