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U.S. CDC commits US$3.9 million for COVID-19 activities in VN

VGP - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) has committed an initial US$3.9 million for U.S. CDC’s COVID-19 activities in Viet Nam to support prevention, preparedness, and response, including some regional activities.

May 23, 2020 8:10 AM GMT+7

The funding aims to support prevention, preparedness, and response, including some regional activities.

These initial resources are being used for laboratory testing, field investigations, surveillance, data analysis, and infection prevention and control.

Health cooperation between the US and Viet Nam has been the cornerstone of our bilateral engagement since 1998 when the U.S. CDC partnered with Viet Nam to establish high-quality, sustainable health systems; strengthen long-term public health capacity; and protect the health of Vietnamese and Americans. 

Building on this partnership with U.S. CDC, Viet Nam is currently at the forefront of global efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to COVID-19.

The U.S. CDC has been working with Viet Nam to strengthen capabilities in four essential areas such as the establishments of surveillance systems to quickly catch outbreaks before they spread, laboratory networks to accurately diagnose disease and identify new pathogens, Emergency Operations Centers to coordinate effective response efforts when crises occur and the enhancement of the capacity of frontline health staff to identify, track, and contain outbreaks at their source.

Since January, the U.S. CDC has been supporting Viet Nam to prepare for and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Accordingly, it has provided direct technical assistance on emergency operations, specimen transport, laboratory testing, disease surveillance, infection prevention and control (IPC), and risk communication.

It has worked alongside Viet Nam’s Ministry of Health, trained field epidemiologists (disease detectives) conduct outbreak investigations to collect, analyze and interpret data and contribute to evidence-based decisions.

The U.S. CDC has conducted trainings on IPC, contact tracing, and laboratory testing and quality assurance as well as developed national guidelines and protocols, together with the Ministry of Health in the areas of infection control, health facility readiness and preparedness, surveillance, laboratory testing, and maintaining HIV treatment during COVID-19. 

By Thuy Dung