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WHO hails Viet Nam's commendable efforts in COVID-19 fight

VGP - Engagement and empowerment of all of society and every arm of government through community-centered solutions are the ultimate goal for Viet Nam to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission and the impact of COVID-19 disease, said Dr Kidong Park, WHO Representative in Viet Nam.

April 24, 2022 2:09 PM GMT+7
WHO recommends community-centered solutions to COVID-19 flight in Viet Nam - Ảnh 1.

Dr. Kidong Park, WHO Representative in Viet Nam

Commendable efforts

The WHO Representative Park assed that the efforts of the Government of Viet Nam in rapidly scaling up the country's COVID-19 vaccination coverage are commendable.

As of December 2021, Viet Nam had already achieved vaccination coverage rate for 70 percent of population, six months earlier than the WHO's initial target.  

Because of the high vaccination rates and despite the surge in cases following the Tet holidays, the number of hospitalizations and those needing critical care remained manageable, he added.

Park suggested that efforts need to be sustained in the rollout of booster doses, especially among high-risk groups – health workers, the elderly and children and adults with comorbidities.

The pandemic is not yet over, and vaccination is our best defense in protecting these high-risk groups from severe illness and death due to COVID-19, said Park.

Right approach with two scenarios

The WHO Representative said that on March 30, WHO released the updated Strategic Preparedness, Readiness and Response Plan (SPRP) for COVID-19 to end the global COVID-19 emergency in 2022.

In this document, WHO sets out a number of key strategic adjustments that, if implemented rapidly and consistently at national, regional, and global levels, will enable the world to end the global emergency of COVID-19.

WHO recommends for countries to plan for three potential scenarios based on viral evolution and human immunity over the next 12 months.

So, it is a right approach that Viet Nam has developed two scenarios based on the country context and WHO's global SPRP 2022.

Bringing vaccination services closer to unreached populations

Park assessed that Viet Nam has demonstrated an efficient vaccination rollout and vaccine absorption rate through a whole-of-society approach.

The same approach, with attention given to creating and sustaining demand and in bringing vaccination services closer to unreached populations, will help speed up the vaccination rollout in Viet Nam.

Those with chronic diseases are at higher risk of severe disease and death from COVID-19. They are among the highest priority groups together with health workers and elderly. It is important to prioritize these groups for the primary series and booster doses.

The Representative stressed that increasing the booster dose coverage rate for higher priority groups will yield greater reductions in severe disease and death than using the equivalent vaccine supply to increase the primary vaccination series coverage rates of lower priority groups.

Considering the high vaccine coverage rates in Viet Nam for high priority groups and adolescents and given the availability of vaccines, it is time for Viet Nam to offer vaccines for children aged 5-11 years, the Representative stressed.

He also proposed that efforts should also continue in reaching unreached adult population whether for primary or booster doses, particularly those belonging in higher priority groups.

Recommendations

Park said that WHO recommends for Viet Nam to take the following measures as core component its response including strengthen surveillance for transmission trends, including monitoring cases, deaths, and COVID-19 hospital admissions and enhance early warning capacities through event-based surveillance.

He underlined the importance of strategic testing linked to genomic sequencing, to be able to monitor for the emergence and spread of variants, strengthen the use of risk-based approach in adjusting and calibrating public health and social measures and in effectively communicating preventive measures.

COVID-19 vaccines reach the last mile said Mr. Kidong Park, adding that the continuity of the delivery of essential health services should be ensured regardless of the scenario.

And my last point but not the least point would be this – Reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission and reducing the impact of COVID-19 disease are objectives that can only be achieved with the engagement and empowerment of all of society and every arm of government through community-centered solutions./.