US Provides Protective Gear to Help Prevent Disease Outbreaks

The United States Government is providing Vietnam with more than 20,000 personal protective suits to help animal health workers respond quickly to potential new outbreaks of avian influenza or other emerging pandemic threat.

 

This assistance package, valued at approximately US$200,000 and implemented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), comes at the request of Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, with technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

 

 “Strategic and efficient use of this equipment by the Vietnamese authorities will not only protect animal health workers but also those involved in detection and response to diseases outbreaks,” said USAID Mission Director Joakim Parker. "Our bilateral cooperation extends beyond bird flu to reach prevention, control and surveillance of known and unknown diseases that start in animals but that can potentially be passed to humans.”

 

These supplies are being sent to regional centres and provinces throughout the country most at risk of bird flu or in greatest need of the supplies, which also include 50,000 masks, 80,000 gloves, and about 30,000 protective gowns.

 

Since 2005, USAID has provided more than US$48 million in support of Vietnam's programs to combat avian influenza, including 60,000 complete sets of personal protective equipment.