Dr. Angela Pratt, WHO Representative in Vietnam, expressed her sadness about an ongoing increase in the death toll in the terrible devastation caused by the super typhoon Yagi and that many people in the flood-vulnerable areas were at risk as a result of the storm and flooding.
As part of WHO's efforts to support the Government in responding to the consequences of the recent typhoon Yagi, WHO urgently transferred and handed over 1 million water disinfection tablets and 500 water containers to the Ministry of Health for transport to the most severely damaged areas.
In the aftermath of flooding, this contribution is hoped to help provide approximately 15 million liters of clean water - ensuring safe drinking water for many weeks to households and health facilities in the eight most affected provinces such as Bac Giang, Cao Bang, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Phu Tho, Thai Nguyen and Yen Bai. Unsafe water used for the cleaning and processing of food is a key risk factors contributing to food-borne diseases ; therefore, clean water is essential to help prevent water-borne and food-borne diseases, to keep health facilities running safely and to maintain patient care, whether it is people injured in storms and floods, or those who need urgent health care every day,” Dr Pratt said, adding that WHO is working closely with the Government and is committed to continuing to support response and recovery efforts in any way possible.
Chief Duong Duc Thien of Office of the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and Search and Rescue under the Ministry of Health stated that in response to Typhoon Yagi's severe damage and devastation, the Ministry of Health has officially requested international assistance. WHO and other UN agencies have participated in joint assessment teams, which have been dispatched in collaboration with the government to better determine the extent of the damage people’s needs.
The WHO representative also disclosed that the organization is also working closely with local and national authorities to monitor and prevent foodborne, waterborne and other infectious diseases in the coming weeks and months and will continue to support the Government in mobilizing additional resources as needed.
