The Vice President and Secretary General of the Vietnam Red Cross (VRC), Doan Van Thai, has emphasised that it is essential to enhance the capability of people to be prepared for pandemics.
On addressing a conference in Hanoi on July 19 to review humanitarian preparedness for pandemics, or H2P project, Thai said that the project which the VRC has been carrying out with the assistance of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) since August 2009, has achieved its targets.
However, he called on people not to ignore pandemics, as in Vietnam there are a number of factors that increase the possibility of the H5N1 and H1N1 viruses from spreading from animals to humans.
The project should be expanded, he said, adding that being prepared for pandemics requires the commitment of all sectors and the whole of society.
The project is designed to reduce the number of people getting infected and the fatality rate by increasing health care and food security in the community.
The VRC has worked with a number of international organisations to train up more than 300 people nationwide to cope with pandemics.
Vietnam was one of the first six countries to benefit from the H2P project, which the IFRC is rolling out in 80 countries and territories across the world./.
On addressing a conference in Hanoi on July 19 to review humanitarian preparedness for pandemics, or H2P project, Thai said that the project which the VRC has been carrying out with the assistance of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) since August 2009, has achieved its targets.
However, he called on people not to ignore pandemics, as in Vietnam there are a number of factors that increase the possibility of the H5N1 and H1N1 viruses from spreading from animals to humans.
The project should be expanded, he said, adding that being prepared for pandemics requires the commitment of all sectors and the whole of society.
The project is designed to reduce the number of people getting infected and the fatality rate by increasing health care and food security in the community.
The VRC has worked with a number of international organisations to train up more than 300 people nationwide to cope with pandemics.
Vietnam was one of the first six countries to benefit from the H2P project, which the IFRC is rolling out in 80 countries and territories across the world./.
