The Health Ministry and the World Health Organisation (WHO) jointly helda conference in Hanoi on May 12 to review the Asia-Pacific Strategy forEmerging Diseases (APSED) and the International Health Regulations(IHR) to draw lessons for future operations in the field.

The IHR, in effect since June 15, 2007, is a legally binding documentfor all WHO member countries. The regulations aim to prevent and respondto acute public health risks that have the potential to cross bordersand threaten the global population.

Meanwhile, theAPSED, which was launched for the first time in 2005 and amended in2010, is a regional strategy targeting improved capacity in managing andresponding to emerging and existing diseases.

Addressing the event, Head of the Health Ministry’s Preventive MedicineDepartment Tran Dac Phu said after the IHR was approved the departmentwas assigned to coordinate in its implementation.

Anemergency operations centre (EOC) was set up to cope with dangerouspandemics including Ebola, he noted, adding that this year the ministryapproved a plan to deal with emerging diseases and organise publichealth events.

As part of efforts to realise theAPSED in preventing the transfer of diseases from animals to humans, theministry has assessed the general risk of bird flu H7N9, whilesafeguarding against Ebola, he said.

Phu revealedthe health sector will continue coordinating with other sectors in the“one health” direction, completing the EOC model and increasingsupervision over a number of diseases spreading from animals to people.

During the conference, participants also discussed anumber of issues, including the implementation of the IHR in Vietnam,preparations for coping with urgent public health conditions, and theprevention and control of bacterial contamination.-VNA