The “Humanitarian Pandemic Preparedness” (H2P) initiative, designed by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, is expected to be carried out from August, 2009 to July, 2010.
Speaking at a regional conference held in Hanoi on September 16 on efforts to cope with flu epidemics among people, Chairman of the Vietnam Red Cross Bui Ngoc Tang said the H2P project will focus on the fields of health care, food safety and livelihood at the community-level.
The project’s activities will support efforts by relevant governmental agencies, humanitarian organisations, civil societies, and non-governmental organisations to map out their plans to combat the pandemic.
The Vietnam Red Cross also called on international and non-governmental organisations and Vietnamese partners to support it in deploying the project.
The H2P with assistance from the US Agency for International Development has been implemented in 20 countries worldwide, which are in danger of being hit hard by the pandemic.
Also on September 16, the Ministry of Health urged the Ministry of Science and Technology to speed up the tempo of research into A/H1N1 vaccine and asked the National Steering Board on Flu Prevention in Humans to provide enough Tamiflu for cities and provinces, hardest hit by the A/H1N1 flu.
Vietnam confirmed 144 more cases positive for the A/H1N1 influenza on September 16, raising the total number in the country to 5,648 with six deaths.
The new cases include 65 in the South, 37 in the North, 29 in the central region and 13 in the Central Highlands.