UK Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward speaks at the event (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - A workshop held in Hanoion April 28 highlighted the important role of the private sector and digitaltechnology in public health emergency response and monitoring.
After global disease outbreaks in the past, 196countries, including Vietnam, agreed to comply with the International HealthRegulations 2005 to develop the capacity of collecting and analysing healthinformation so as to make early warnings and response to public health events.
Event-based surveillance (EBS), one of twomethods for monitoring communicable diseases, aims to quickly detect any publichealth events that run the risk of causing disease transmission and outbreaksor affecting public health, and to issue a timely and appropriate response,thus minimising any negative impact on the public.
EBS is conducted by collecting information fromthree main sources: the community, healthcare establishments or testing labs,and the media (press, social networks).
Nguyen Thi Huong, an official from the Ministryof Health’s General Department of Preventive Medicine, pointed out the low participationof private health establishments in public health surveillance and reporting, eventhough the sector is potentially a major source of input information for EBS.
Since 2020, based on the success of involvingthe private healthcare system in screening and reporting non-communicablediseases, malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV, Population Services International(PSI) Vietnam has applied chatbots, via which private healthcare facilitiesreport suspected COVID-19 cases and infectious diseases that may turn intooutbreaks.
The application has received financial supportfrom the UK Department for International Development, the Unilever group, andthe World Health Organisation in Vietnam.
PSI Vietnam has carried out a project onengaging the private sector in public health emergency response in Hanoi andthe provinces of Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen, Ha Nam, and Quang Binh. The project hasapplied technological solutions to optimise efficiency and increase thetimeliness of the EBS system.
After six months, it has provided training on thesystem to nearly 3,100 pharmacies and clinics. More than 81,900 cases with suspectedsymptoms have been reported via the system, becoming a source of supplementarydata for the early detection and zoning of disease hotspots.
Underlining the importance of engaging theprivate healthcare sector in EBS, UK Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward said closecooperation between the Government, international organisations, and privatehealthcare establishments can help boost the application of scientificinitiatives so as to secure the public’s health and safety and sustainabledevelopment./.
After global disease outbreaks in the past, 196countries, including Vietnam, agreed to comply with the International HealthRegulations 2005 to develop the capacity of collecting and analysing healthinformation so as to make early warnings and response to public health events.
Event-based surveillance (EBS), one of twomethods for monitoring communicable diseases, aims to quickly detect any publichealth events that run the risk of causing disease transmission and outbreaksor affecting public health, and to issue a timely and appropriate response,thus minimising any negative impact on the public.
EBS is conducted by collecting information fromthree main sources: the community, healthcare establishments or testing labs,and the media (press, social networks).
Nguyen Thi Huong, an official from the Ministryof Health’s General Department of Preventive Medicine, pointed out the low participationof private health establishments in public health surveillance and reporting, eventhough the sector is potentially a major source of input information for EBS.
Since 2020, based on the success of involvingthe private healthcare system in screening and reporting non-communicablediseases, malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV, Population Services International(PSI) Vietnam has applied chatbots, via which private healthcare facilitiesreport suspected COVID-19 cases and infectious diseases that may turn intooutbreaks.
The application has received financial supportfrom the UK Department for International Development, the Unilever group, andthe World Health Organisation in Vietnam.
PSI Vietnam has carried out a project onengaging the private sector in public health emergency response in Hanoi andthe provinces of Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen, Ha Nam, and Quang Binh. The project hasapplied technological solutions to optimise efficiency and increase thetimeliness of the EBS system.
After six months, it has provided training on thesystem to nearly 3,100 pharmacies and clinics. More than 81,900 cases with suspectedsymptoms have been reported via the system, becoming a source of supplementarydata for the early detection and zoning of disease hotspots.
Underlining the importance of engaging theprivate healthcare sector in EBS, UK Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward said closecooperation between the Government, international organisations, and privatehealthcare establishments can help boost the application of scientificinitiatives so as to secure the public’s health and safety and sustainabledevelopment./.
VNA
