Addressed to: People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities

Globally, the situation of infectious diseases remains complex, with many infectious diseases showing an increasing trend in the number of cases in various countries, including dengue fever, hand, foot and mouth disease, and COVID-19, etc. Domestically, the infectious disease situation is basically under control; however, dengue fever, hand, foot and mouth disease, and COVID-19 have begun to show local increases in some areas. From early May 2025 until now, even though it is not yet the peak of the rainy season, there have been many thunderstorms, whirlwinds, lightning, and heavy rains causing floods, flash floods, and landslides, which are favorable for increasing the risk of environmental pollution and disease outbreaks.

The upcoming period is the peak of the 2025 summer tourism season, with increased travel demand. To proactively implement prevention and control of infectious diseases, with due attention paid to dengue fever, hand, foot and mouth disease, COVID-19, and other diseases that potentially break out during the rainy season and floods, the Ministry of Health requests the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to direct the implementation of the following tasks:

1. Direct local authorities and sectoral agencies, as well as mass organizations at all levels, to coordinate with the health sector in the drastic implementation of disease prevention and control; organize an intensive campaign in June-July 2025 to prevent and control dengue fever, hand, foot and mouth disease, COVID-19, and other diseases that potentially break out during heavy rains and floods (e.g., conjunctivitis, diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid). Disseminate to commune-level authorities and each residential group, mobilizing community and societal participation in eliminating and overturning unnecessary water containers, covering and monitoring clean water tanks and containers to kill mosquito larvae and pupae, sleeping under mosquito nets to prevent dengue fever, etc.; guide households, preschools, and primary schools to regularly practice hand hygiene for young children to prevent hand, foot and mouth disease; promote to each household the use of personal protective measures such as wearing masks in public places and limiting unnecessary large gatherings to prevent COVID-19; organize environmental sanitation campaigns immediately after rainstorms and floods to prevent disease. Communication content, messages, and forms should be diverse and suitable for each locality (refer to the appendix for communication messages).

2. Direct the provincial-level Departments of Health to:

- Promote communication activities as assigned in Plan No. 525/KH-BYT dated April 22, 2025, of the Ministry of Health, on infectious disease prevention and control communication in 2025, with attention paid to communicating with at-risk groups in difficult areas and ethnic minority-inhabited areas through various forms and languages suitable for each locality (communication materials available at the Ministry of Health's communication materials data warehouse: bit.ly/44WjHRD).

- Direct the increased coordination between the preventive and curative healthcare systems in updating infectious disease surveillance data in accordance with Circular 54/2015/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health, conduct surveillance for severe viral pneumonia (SVP) and event-based surveillance to promptly provide information on infected cases and epidemic abnormalities, early detecting increases in infectious diseases, especially dengue fever, hand, foot and mouth disease, COVID-19, and diseases transmitted through the digestive tract, as well as conjunctivitis after rainstorms and floods.

- Direct medical examination and treatment facilities to effectively organize patient admission and treatment, minimizing fatalities and preventing situations where patients are not promptly advised, given first aid, treated, or transferred and, at the same time, develop plans for treatment stratification and support for lower-level facilities to avoid hospital overload.

- Review and assess disease risks in areas affected by rain, floods, and landslides; be ready and proactively implement disease prevention and control plans when such situations occur; consolidate and maintain mobile epidemic prevention and control teams to support lower-level facilities in surveillance and management of epidemics and endemic infectious diseases during rain, floods, and landslides.

3. Direct the provincial-level Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism and mass media agencies to coordinate with the provincial-level Departments of Health in implementing disease prevention and control communication activities, diversify communication activities to help people understand and proactively implement measures to prevent dengue fever, hand, foot and mouth disease, and COVID-19.

4. Direct the provincial-level Departments of Education and Training to vigorously implement disease prevention and control activities, especially for hand, foot and mouth disease, in nurseries and kindergartens; request educational institutions to have sufficient handwashing facilities, soap, and convenient locations to facilitate handwashing with soap for caregivers and children; implement daily cleaning of classrooms, desks, and toys with soap or common detergents. Early detect disease cases in educational institutions and immediately notify local health authorities to organize examination, treatment, and timely outbreak management.

5. Direct the provincial-level Departments of Finance to promptly allocate and supplement funds to proactively prevent and control dengue fever, hand, foot and mouth disease, COVID-19, and diseases that potentially break out during rain and floods.

6. Ensure human resources, medicines, chemicals, medical equipment, and facilities for infectious disease prevention and control, especially in areas affected by rain and floods. Arrange and assign mobile epidemic prevention and control teams to important, high-risk locations, ready to participate in handling situations in case of outbreaks.

7. Organize inter-sectoral inspection teams to inspect and supervise the implementation of directives from the Ministry of Health and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities.

Best regards./.