Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien has just signed the Decision on the establishment of the Steering Committee for idiopathic and newly-emerged diseases control.
This is the first time that a steering committee for controlling idiopathic, newly-emerged diseases has been established by the Ministry of Health (MoH). Previously, the MoH had established the Steering Committee for controlling the flu pandemic in human after certifying A/H5N1 avian influenza cases and A/H1N1 flu epidemic in Vietnam.
There are now lots of newly-emerged diseases that influence considerably on the population in Vietnam as well as the world, such as HIV/AIDS, A/H5N1 flu, H1N1 flu, SARS, viral hepatitis, etc., the MoH says.
Newly-emerged disease is the disease that has appeared the first time or probably existed before, but had rapid increase in morbidity or endemicity. Among of them are BSE (mad cow disease), HIV/AIDS, SARS, A/H5N1 flu pandemic, A/H1N1 flu, HUS (Hemolytic-uremic syndrome) caused by E. coli, dengue, HFDM (hand, foot and mouth disease) that are considered the newly-emerged diseases with higher morbidity and wider prevalance in many countries. Besides, in the last decade, some newly-emerged, idiopathic diseases were also recorded by the World Health Organization (WHO) such as IPPH (Inflammatory Palmoplantar Hyperkeratosis), adult-onset immunodeficiency syndrome (causing AIDS-like symptoms but not associated with HIV).
In recent years, in Vietnam, the infected cases and deaths from newly-emerged diseases have increased dramatically. Therefore, it is necessary to set up the steering committee for prompt and effective response to the prevention and control of idiopathic and newly-emerged diseases in the community.
The newly-emerged diseases are threatening not only Vietnam but the world also; recently, in the 63rd Session of WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific held in Vietnam, Dr. Shin Young Soo - Director of the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific said: "The emergence of more than 35 kinds of new diseases in the last 10 years has become a global problem."
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Spraying decontaminating chemicals around the residential area with A/H1N1
infected patients. A/H1N1 flu is listed in the newly-emerged diseases group.
In Vietnam, many infected cases were certified consecutively in 2009. |
The steering committee for controlling newly-emerged diseases is headed by the Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien. The steering committee's duty is to direct and held the supervision, prevention, control and treatment of idiopathic, newly-emerged diseases on the nationwide scale; to work in collaboration with the concerned Departments/Sectors in drawing up plans, inspecting, monitoring and evaluating the preventative activities, control and treatment of idiopathic, newly-emerged diseases.