The Health Ministry is intensifying efforts to prevent the spread of infectious diseases especially dengue fever and hand-foot-mouth as the weather turns hot.

The ministry has sent eight teams to localities with high incidences of the diseases to help shore up prevention work, while promoting educational campaigns to raise the public’s awareness about disease prevention measures.

A national campaign promoting washing hands with soap was launched in Ho Chi Minh City on May 17 as part of efforts to curb diseases.

The Preventive Medicine Department on May 18 reported that 9,011 cases of dengue fever in 42 cities and provinces and 20,500 cases of hand-foot-mouth disease nationwide had been registered since the beginning of this year.

More than 83 percent of dengue fever cases were in the southern region, and five people have died of the disease this year, while hand-foot-mouth has claimed two lives.-VNA