Directive No. 29/2006/CT-TTg on Strengthening Measures for Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza and Human Influenza A (H5N1)

DIRECTIVE

On Strengthening Work to Prevent and Control Avian Influenza and Human Infection with Avian Influenza A (H5N1)

and avian influenza A (H5N1) in humans

From the beginning of this year until now, there has been no outbreak of avian influenza or cases of human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1) throughout the country. Therefore, in many localities and among the people, there has appeared a subjective, lax attitude towards work on preventing and controlling the disease. Currently, the situation of avian influenza is very complicated; in some countries in the region, after a long period without outbreaks, the disease has re-emerged and continues to record new cases of infection and deaths caused by the avian influenza A (H5N1) virus. In our country, if preventive and control measures are not strictly implemented, there will be many risks of the disease re-emerging. To maintain the results achieved, take proactive measures to prevent and control avian influenza and human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1), and firmly prevent the disease from re-emerging, the Prime Minister issues the following directive:

1. Continue to effectively implement information dissemination and propaganda work on preventing and controlling avian influenza and human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1). The Ministry of Culture and Information shall direct mass media agencies to cooperate closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Health to provide timely, accurate information about the development, risks, and preventive measures against the disease so that all citizens can be aware and proactively protect their own health, community health, and ensure safety for poultry farming. Newspapers and radio stations must have special topics on this propaganda effort.

2. Strengthen inspection and supervision of the transportation, slaughtering, consumption, and importation of poultry and poultry products:

a) The Ministry of Trade shall closely coordinate with provincial and municipal People's Committees, relevant ministries and sectors to organize strict inspections and supervision of the importation of live poultry and poultry products; temporarily suspend the importation of live poultry and poultry products from countries currently experiencing outbreaks; implement effective measures to prevent illegal imports of poultry and poultry products through borders with countries experiencing outbreaks; confiscate and organize the destruction without compensation and impose severe penalties according to the law on anti-smuggling when illegal imports are detected;

b) Provincial and municipal People's Committees shall strictly direct the implementation of veterinary hygiene inspections during the slaughtering and transportation of poultry and the consumption of poultry and poultry products. Organize veterinary quarantine checkpoints to inspect and supervise veterinary hygiene during the transportation of poultry and poultry products. Prohibit the transportation, slaughtering, buying, and selling of unquarantined poultry and poultry products. Immediately address the recurrence of scattered slaughtering and trading of poultry within urban areas and concentrated residential areas. Quickly promote policies encouraging enterprises to invest in centralized slaughter facilities and safe poultry farming linked to industrialized poultry slaughtering.

3. Accelerate the progress of vaccinating poultry against avian influenza in 2006 and the plan for 2007:

a) Provincial and municipal People's Committees shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to promptly complete supplementary vaccinations for newly emerged poultry flocks that were not vaccinated in the first round of 2006; urgently develop and implement the second round vaccination plan for 2006 to ensure timely completion, high vaccination rates, and effectiveness, avoiding wastage and loss of vaccines;

b) The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall coordinate with provincial and municipal People's Committees to strictly direct and inspect the vaccination work against avian influenza in localities; ensure sufficient quantity, quality, and type of vaccines for the vaccination plan; correct vaccine storage and usage practices to prevent wastage and loss;

c) The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to complete the settlement of funding for the vaccination support phase 2005-2006; establish a support mechanism and vaccination plan for poultry flocks in 2007 to be submitted to the Prime Minister for approval.

4. Strictly and comprehensively implement preventive and control measures against avian influenza and human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1):

a) The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Health, the National Steering Committee for Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza, the National Steering Committee for Prevention and Control of Human Influenza, and provincial and municipal People's Committees must actively implement emergency action plans when an outbreak occurs and the coordinated action plan for prevention and control of avian influenza and human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1) approved by the Government; actively implement preventive and control measures against avian influenza and human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1) according to central directives, firmly preventing the re-emergence of avian influenza and minimizing cases of human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1);

b) Provincial and municipal People's Committees must maintain the regular operation of the provincial and lower-level steering committees for prevention and control of avian influenza and human infection with avian influenza A(H5N1); coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to continue implementing biosecurity measures, regularly disinfect and sterilize breeding areas, environments, markets, slaughterhouses, old epidemic sites, and burial pits. Direct relevant levels, sectors, and veterinary professionals to closely monitor the disease at each breeding facility and household. If an outbreak occurs in the locality and is not promptly detected and contained, the heads of local authorities and veterinary staff at those locations will be held responsible;

c) The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the National Steering Committee for Prevention and Control of Avian Influenza shall cooperate with the Ministry of Health to closely monitor post-vaccination virus status and the situation of avian influenza domestically to take timely measures. Monitor the development of avian influenza in humans in neighboring countries and globally, and report to the Prime Minister.

5. The Ministry of Science and Technology shall coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Health to promptly complete research and trial production, and move towards perfecting the production of equipment and medicines for the prevention and control of avian influenza and human A(H5N1) influenza.

6. The Ministry of Health and the National Steering Committee for Pandemic Influenza Prevention and Control:

a) Direct, inspect, and review the implementation of the plan for purchasing ventilators, medical equipment, and medicines for the prevention and control of the epidemic that has been approved, and develop plans to supplement the purchase of necessary equipment and medicines to be submitted to the competent authority for approval;

b) Coordinate with the People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities to inspect and review the plans and schemes for receiving patients at central and local healthcare facilities;

c) Promptly finalize the treatment protocol for human A(H5N1) influenza to guide healthcare facilities to proactively receive and treat patients, thereby minimizing the need to transfer patients to higher-level central or provincial healthcare facilities during an outbreak. Direct healthcare facilities to strengthen disease surveillance, and if suspected cases are identified, organize isolation and apply timely preventive measures.

The Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of agencies under the Government, and Chairpersons of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities are responsible for implementing this Directive./.