Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam's Engineering Company Rotation 4 serving with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) Mission has organised a community outreach programme to help prevent the spread of Ebola, providing medical supplies and health education to local residents amid the worsening Ebola outbreak in Africa.
The initiative reflects the proactive engagement of the Engineering Company Rotation 4 in close coordination with local health authorities to establish emergency preventive measures to safeguard the health of residents in Abyei.
As the rainy season in Abyei began in June, prolonged heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding and contaminated water sources, creating favourable conditions for the spread of infectious diseases. Children and older people are particularly vulnerable, while poor transport infrastructure has disrupted supplies of medical equipment and personal protective gear, increasing infection risks for frontline health workers.
In response, the Engineering Company Rotation 4 identified epidemic prevention as an urgent priority and worked with local health authorities to strengthen preparedness.
Its Level-1 Field Hospital organised training sessions for all personnel on infection prevention and control, covering symptom recognition, the proper use of personal protective equipment, and safe interaction with local communities. The training aims to protect Vietnamese peacekeeping personnel, while enabling them to act as a health communication advocate, and supporting public health efforts in the mission area.
The hospital also launched the programme “joining hands with the community to prevent Ebola,” donating hundreds of essential protective items, including face masks and hand sanitiser, to key community locations such as local healthcare facilities, schools and religious institutions.
Receiving the supplies, a representative of Abyei Hospital praised the initiative, saying the timely assistance from the Vietnamese peacekeepers had helped ease shortages of protective equipment and demonstrated effective cooperation between international peacekeepers and local health workers in safeguarding public health.
Health education activities were also held at Abyei Secondary School, where Vietnamese military medical staff demonstrated the World Health Organisation’s recommended handwashing procedures and instructed students on ways to minimise close contact in crowded settings, contributing to raising awareness and action in Ebola prevention./.
