Do Hong Hien, an epidemiologist at WHO in Vietnam,said the arrival of the disease in the country is just a matter of time. There may have beencommunity transmission and authorities need response measures to screen, preventinfections, and protect the health of workers who are at high risk, the expert noted.
Hien recommended Vietnam prepare capacity for diagnosis,isolation, and management so that when there is a case, it will contain thespread and minimise fatalities.
Nguyen Luong Tam, Deputy Director of the Departmentof Preventive Medicine, said countries next to Vietnam such as Thailand andSingapore have already logged monkeypox cases.
According to Tam, since April, Vietnam has abandoned the requirement on healthdeclarations for international visitors, making it easier for people from othercountries, including those with monkeypox, to enter.
In response, the department has ordered serious health quarantinefor human, vehicles and goods moving through the borders, with units involvedasked to updating response plans suitable to their areas.
On July 23, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declaredmonkeypox a global public health emergency due to its rapid transmission rateand the risk of its spread further to other countries.
The world has recorded nearly 16,000 cases in 74 countrieswith five deaths. An increase in the number of cases, especially in some European nations,have been posted./.