Vietnam is at high risks of rising epidemic outbreaks, especially digestive-related diseases such as cholera, state media quoted Professor Doctor Nguyen Tran Hien, head of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology as cautioning. Hien made the warning at a conference held in Hanoi April 27 to deploy measures to combat epidemics in northern Vietnam this year, the Voice of Vietnam radio reported. He also cautioned about the increasing numbers of A/H5N1, dengue fever and measles cases this year, urging provinces and cities to prepare preventive measures. Vietnam has confirmed 50 cases of cholera in the year to date. In the northern region, the disease is detected in Hanoi, Haiphong, Bac Ninh and Hai Duong. It is likely to spread widely due to shortcomings in preventive healthcare and ineffective cooperation between local authorities and functional agencies, he noted. Last year, northern Vietnam recorded more than 9,400 measles cases. Meanwhile, A/H5N1 also killed five Vietnamese people.
