The officials included WHO Regional Director for the WesternPacific Takeshi Kasai, WHO Representative in Vietnam Kidong Park and Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan.
Expressing his belief that Van Yen district and Yen Bai province willeffectively response to COVID-19 in a safe and flexible manner in the longterm, he affirmed that WHO will assist and accompany the provincial healthsector in related information and experience exchange.
On January 13, the delegation paid a courtesycall to provincial leaders and visited a number of health facilities.
Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Do Duc Duy and Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Tran Huy Tuan expressed their wish that WHO will continuecoordinating with universities, the National Institute of Hygiene andEpidemiology, and relevant agencies to support Yen Bai in primary health care trainingfor health workers, including those working at schools.
They also hoped for WHO’s provision of financial andtechnical support for Yen Bai to build a number of health improvement models atsemi-boarding and boarding schools in upland districts and ethnic minority-populatedareas.
According to the provincial leaders, by the end of 2021, Yen Bai had 140communes, or 80.9 percent of the total, meeting the national health standards, 100 percent of local studentsreceived health checkups at the outset of the academic year, and 70 percent oflocal schools had an adequately equipped medical office.
Saying Yen Bai is on the right path in COVID-19 prevention and control, Kasai affirmed thatWHO will further support and share information and experience with Vietnam andYen Bai regarding their responses to the pandemic.
As part of the trip,the delegation visited Dai Son primary and secondary school; and observedactivities of home vaccinationagainst COVID-19 for the elderly and illnesses who cannot go to medicalfacilities in the commune’s Da Dung village.They also visited theprovincial Lung Hospital, General Hospital, and the Center for DiseaseControl./.