| MINISTRY OF HEALTH | THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM |
| No. 3984/QD-BYT | Hanoi, October 29, 2023 |
MINISTER OF HEALTH
Pursuant to the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases;
Pursuant to Government's Decree No. 95/2022/ND-CP dated November 15, 2022 on functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Health;
Pursuant to Decision No. 26/2023/QD-TTg dated October 19, 2023 of the Prime Minister on amendments to the Appendix regulating the average incubation period and the time when no additional cases of infectious diseases are detected as a basis for declaring the end of epidemics promulgated together with Decision No. 02/2016/QD-TTg dated January 28, 2016 stipulating conditions for declaring epidemics and declaring the end of epidemics;
Pursuant to Decision No. 3896/QD-BYT dated October 19, 2023 of the Ministry of Health on reclassification of acute respiratory infections caused by new strains of Corona virus (COVID-19) from an infectious disease of group A to group B of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases 2007;
At the request of the Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine, affiliated to Ministry of Health.
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Article 1. Issue together with this Decision “Plan for control and sustainable management of the COVID-19 epidemic for the period 2023-2025”.
Article 2. This Decision comes into force from the date of signing and promuglation.
Article 3. Chief of the Ministry Office; Chief Inspector of the Ministry; Directors of Departments affiliated to the Ministry of Health; Directors of the Institutes of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Pasteur Institute; Directors of health facilities affiliated to the Ministry of Health; Directors of Health Departments of provinces and cities; Heads of health of ministries and agencies; Heads of relevant units shall implement this Decision./.
PP. MINISTER
DEPUTY MINISTER
Nguyen Thi Lien Huong
FOR CONTROL AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF THE COVID-19 EPIDEMIC IN THE PERIOD OF 2023-2025
(Issued together with Decision No. 3984/QD-BYT dated October 29, 2023 of the Ministry of Health)
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A. EPIDEMIC SITUATION
1. In the world
2. In Vietnam
B. OBJECTIVES
1. General objectives
2. Specific objectives
C. TASKS AND SOLUTIONS
1. Direction and administration work
2. Healthcare practices
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4. Training
5. Information technology
6. International cooperation
7. Scientific research
8. Logistics
9. Medical surge plan to ensure medical works during a large-scale outbreak of a dangerous new COVID-19 variant.
D. IMPLEMENTATION
I. Affiliates of the Ministry of Health
1. Department of Preventive Medicine
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3. Health Environment Management Agency
4. Drug Administration of Vietnam
5. National Center for Health Information
6. Department of Traditional Medicine and Pharmacy Administration
7. Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control
8. Department of Science Technology and Training
9. Department of Planning and Finance
10. Department of Legal Affairs
11. Department of Human Resources
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13. Office of the Ministry of Health
14. Department of International Cooperation
15. Department of Health Insurance
16. Department of Pediatrics and Maternal Health
17. Institutes of the Preventive Medicine System
18. Hospitals affiliated to the Ministry of Health
19. Health Strategy and Policy Institute
II. Coordination with Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and Governmental agencies
III. Direction to the People's Committees of provinces and centrally affiliated to cities (hereinafter referred to as provinces) to relevant units
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COVID-19, a global pandemic, first emerged in Wuhan, China in late December 2019 and spread rapidly to many countries and territories around the world. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) and assessed it as a worldwide pandemic on March 11, 2020. 2020[1]. On May 5, 2023, after more than 3 years, the World Health Organization (WHO) lifted the PHEIC designation[2] ; At this time, the world has recorded over 696 million cases in 231 countries and territories, with over 6.9 million deaths. COVID-19 is still a global health threat because the SARS-CoV-2 virus is still mutating and could cause new and dangerous variants. This could lead to new surges in cases and deaths. WHO advises countries not to let down their guard and ignore epidemic safety protocols. WHO affirms that it is time for Member States to move to the long-term management of the COVID-19 epidemic.
WHO has issued the COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) for the period 2023-2025 with the objectives: (1) Reducing and controlling new infections, with a particular focus on reducing infections in high-risk and vulnerable populations; (2) Preventing, diagnosing and treating COVID-19 to reduce mortality, morbidity, and long-term sequelae; (3) Supporting Member States’ transition from crisis response to sustainable, integrated, longer-term and strengthened COVID-19 disease management.
In Vietnam, the first case of COVID-19 was recorded in Ho Chi Minh City on January 23, 2020. Up to now, through 2 stages of epidemic prevention and 4 outbreaks, the whole country has recorded over 11.6 million cases and over 43 thousand deaths; 99.9% of cases were recorded in the period 2020-2022.
Vietnam has implemented effective anti-epidemic solutions with the participation of the entire political system, the Party, the army, and the people. This has led to the gradual prevention, containment, and effective control of the epidemic, making an important contribution to socio-economic recovery and development in all fields. The people and the international community have recognized and highly appreciated Vietnam's efforts. The COVID-19 epidemic has now been controlled nationwide, the number of infections and deaths has decreased sharply[3]; the current average monthly number of cases is about 10,000 cases, down 14 times compared to 2021 and down 82 times compared to 2022; the death rate due to COVID-19 decreased from 1.86% (2021) to 0.11% (2022) and is currently 0.02%.
Based on the consensus opinion of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control (hereinafter referred to as the COVID-19 National Steering Committee) on reclassification of COVID-19 from infectious disease of group A to group B, the Ministry of Health issued Decision No. 3896 /QD-BYT dated October 19, 2023 on adjustment to the classification of COVID-19 from infectious disease of group A to group B; coming into force from October 20, 2023. On the same day, October 19, 2023, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 26/2023/QD-TTg on amendments to the Appendix regulating the average incubation period and the time when no additional cases of infectious diseases are detected as a basis for declaring the end of epidemics promulgated together with Decision No. 02/2016/QD-TTg dated January 28, 2016 stipulating conditions for declaring epidemics and declaring the end of epidemics; coming into force as of October 20, 2023.
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1. General objectives
Ensuring effective and sustainable control of the COVID-19 epidemic to safeguard public health and strengthen socio-economic progress.
2. Specific objectives
- Reducing new infections, with a particular focus on reducing infections in high-risk and vulnerable populations.
- Reducing severe cases and deaths due to COVID-19.
- Ensuring sustainable management of COVID-19 along with other infectious diseases.
1. Direction and administration work
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- Direct local governments, based on the actual developments of the epidemic situation, to declare the epidemic and declare the end of the epidemic according to the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases; consider consolidating the Steering Committees for COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control at all levels, in accordance with the epidemic situation.
- Direct local governments to develop their plans for control and sustainable management of the COVID-19 epidemic for the period 2023-2025.
- Develop and implement an appropriate COVID-19 vaccine use plan according to target populations of vaccination and vaccination schedules; integrate COVID-19 vaccination into the regular vaccination program.
- Provide guidance related to payment of COVID-19 medical costs when reclassification of COVID-19 from an infectious disease of group A to group B .
- Direct and guide to address the adverse effects of COVID-19 on the delivery of essential health services, including: expanded vaccination, nutrition, prevention of non-communicable diseases and other diseases, and post-COVID-19 conditions, etc.
2.1. Supervision
- Closely track and analyze the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic globally and within Vietnam, ensuring timely dissemination of epidemiological information.
- Integrate COVID-19 surveillance into the respiratory pathogen surveillance system, including Focused Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) Surveillance, Severe Viral Pneumonia (SVP) Surveillance, and SARS-CoV-2 Genetic Surveillance to monitor virus variations.
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- Review, amend, and update guidance on COVID-19 supervision, prevention, and control in accordance with the epidemic situation.
2.2. Treatment
- Ensure emergency response and intensive care capabilities at healthcare facilities.
- Rigorously implement infection control and prevention measures to curtail the transmission of epidemics within healthcare facilities, with a particular emphasis on safeguarding high-risk patients, including pregnant women, people with underlying diseases, the elderly, patients in intensive care, hemodialysis patients, etc.)
- Provide comprehensive management, care, treatment, and support services for individuals at high risk of severe COVID-19 within the community; vigilantly monitor and promptly treat COVID-19 complications.
- Effectively disseminate COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment guidelines, as well as COVID-19 infection prevention and control guidelines in health facilities. Continuously monitor, review, revise, and update these guidelines in accordance with the new epidemiological situation.
- Review, make statistics, and adjust the need for medical and intensive care equipment, including machinery, equipment, consumables, essential drugs, personal protective equipment, medical oxygen, etc. serving the prevention and control of COVID-19 epidemic in accordance with the new situation.
2.3. Vaccination
- Develop and implement a plan to use COVID-19 vaccines appropriate to the target populations of vaccination and vaccination schedule. Prioritize vaccination of high-risk groups.
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2.4. Personal prevention
- Encourage implementation of 2K “Khẩu trang - Khử khuẩn” (Mask - Disinfection). Masks are encouraged in crowded places and on public transport; and rules about mask use in healthcare facilities may vary depending on current instructions of the Ministry of Health.
Regularly wash your hands with soap and clean water or a regular hand sanitizer, particularly after contact with potentially contaminated surfaces, coughing, or sneezing.
- Periodically clean surfaces of living and working places.
- Individuals experiencing suspected or mild illness are strongly advised to limit contact with others and self-quarantine.
- Provide accurate and up-to-date information on the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam and globally to inform the public without causing unnecessary anxiety or promoting complacency.
- Effectively communicate COVID-19 risks and prevention and control measures to empower individuals with knowledge and self-protective strategies.
- Promote complete COVID-19 vaccination in accordance with Ministry of Health guidelines.
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- Training on guidance on supervision of COVID-19 prevention and control.
- Training on COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment guidelines, COVID-19 infection prevention and control guidelines in health facilities.
- Deploy groups of experts to support local governments in providing Healthcare practices.
- Continue to apply information technology in management, reporting, statistical analysis of infections, testing, and vaccination data; consulting, treatment, distance training and information sharing on epidemic surveillance, vaccination, testing, treatment, thereby strengthening epidemic prevention and control efforts.
- Deploy application of population data and electronic identification accounts in management of COVID patients.
- Continuously share updates on the epidemic situation, emerging variants, vaccine developments, treatment drugs, and epidemic prevention and control measures with international organizations.
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- Strengthen scientific research on epidemiology, monitor the evolution and mutation of pathogens.
- Continuously research and produce COVID vaccines and treatment drugs.
- Research health issues related to COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 conditions.
- Survey on COVID-19 response capacity for production and business establishments (hereinafter referred to as business establishments), industrial parks, industrial clusters and schools.
- Take charge and coordinate with relevant units to review and propose improvement of mechanisms and policies to promote the development of domestically produced medical equipment.
- Take charge and coordinate with relevant units to review and propose improvement of mechanisms, policies, resources, forecasting capabilities, and promotion of research and development of the pharmaceutical industry, vaccines, and biological products in Vietnam.
- Ensure adequate supply of drugs, consumables, chemicals, biological products, supplies and equipment appropriate to the epidemic situation.
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- Have a plan to guarantee adequate capacity for hospital beds, intensive treatment beds, and COVID-19 treatment areas at district, provincial, and central levels.
- Research, develop and propose policies on private sector involvement in epidemic prevention and control.
- Develop and propose appropriate remuneration policies for those in charge of preventive medicine, grassroots medicine, and those directly involved in epidemic prevention and control.
In case the COVID-19 epidemic has a new dangerous variant and a large-scale outbreak, follow the medical surge plan to ensure medical works during a large-scale outbreak of a dangerous new COVID-19 variant that exceeds the capacity of the health system in the attached Appendix.
I. Affiliates of the Ministry of Health
1. Department of Preventive Medicine
- Act as a standing agency for epidemic prevention and control of the Ministry of Health; advise on solutions to prevent and control COVID-19 epidemic.
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- Advise the Ministry of Health to direct provinces to assess the epidemic situation, declare epidemic , and declare the end of the epidemic according to the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases.
- Review, update, and submit to the Ministry of Health for approval the Guidelines for monitoring and preventing COVID-19.
- Direct and coordinate with relevant units in monitoring, analyzing and forecasting the epidemic situation. Build an epidemiological database to serve forecasting and monitoring.
- Act as a focal point for developing COVID-19 vaccination instructions and plans for using COVID-19 vaccines.
- Direct and provide training for medical staff at all levels on epidemic surveillance and prevention nationwide.
- Act as a focal point for implementing the International Health Regulations, sharing information with international organizations and other countries.
- Disseminate information and communication according to regulations.
- Review and propose whether or not to continue taking COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control measures within their assigned functions and tasks.
2. Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Administration
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- Provide expert guidance to the Ministry of Health in overseeing emergency care operations, patient admissions and treatment protocols, and ensuring adequate emergency responses and intensive care capacities at health facilities.
- Provide guidance on revising certain of regulations on screening, triage, testing of people suspected of being infected with SARS-CoV-2, as well as admission and treatment of COVID-19 patients in health facilities.
- Update the decision on Guidance on risk classification of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 and recommendations for handling, isolation, and treatment protocols.
- Effectively disseminate COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment guidelines, as well as COVID-19 infection prevention and control guidelines in health facilities. Continuously monitor, review, revise, and update these guidelines in accordance with the new epidemiological situation.
- Direct and provide training to improve professional competence, comprehensively strengthen the treatment capacity of the health facility system, especially the intensive care capacity of hospitals from district level or upwards.
- Direct that all institutes and hospitals under the authority of the Ministry of Health and provincial authorities thoroughly prepare and maintain adequate stockpiles of essential medical supplies, including intensive care equipment, personal protective equipment, treatment drugs, and other necessary resources to ensure their readiness to receive, treat, and care for patients.
- Review, make statistics, and adjust the need for machinery, equipment, consumables, essential drugs, personal protective equipment, medical oxygen, etc. serving the prevention and control of COVID-19 epidemic in accordance with the new situation.
- Review and propose whether or not to continue taking COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control measures within their assigned functions and tasks.
3. Health Environment Management Agency
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- Survey on COVID-19 response capacity for business establishments, industrial parks, industrial clusters and educational institutions.
- Review and propose whether or not to continue taking COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control measures within their assigned functions and tasks.
4. Drug Administration of Vietnam
- Develop economic and technical norms for COVID-19 vaccines.
- Grant licenses and marketing authorization for drugs, medicinal ingredients, and vaccines to support COVID-19 prevention and control efforts.
- Improve mechanisms and policies to promote the production, technology transfer, processing of COVID treatment drugs, and early access to new generation vaccines and biological products in the prevention and control of COVID-19 epidemic.
- Take charge and coordinate with relevant units to review and propose improvement of mechanisms, policies, resources, forecasting capabilities, and promotion of research and development of the pharmaceutical industry, vaccines, and biological products in Vietnam.
5. National Center for Health Information
- Build an information system to direct, monitor, and forecast the COVID-19 epidemic integrated with other infectious diseases.
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- Coordinate on initiation of the application of the national population database (VneID) to connect, authenticate, and share data on COVID-19 prevention and control, including updated information on people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19; promote the application of national population database and electronic identification accounts in patient authentication and management.
- Develop and guide the initiation of information technology applications in monitoring, reporting cases, managing vaccination, testing, treatment, remote treatment, managing medical equipment and supplies, assets, etc. to support epidemic prevention and control efforts.
6. Department of Traditional Medicine and Pharmacy Administration
- Review and improve mechanisms and policies to support domestic production and application of traditional medicine in COVID prevention, control, and treatment.
- Collaborate with the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Administration to thoroughly evaluate, revise, and update COVID-19 clinical protocols, integrating modern medical approaches with traditional medicine to ensure scientific validity and effectiveness.
7. Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control
Review and propose whether or not to continue taking COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control measures within their assigned functions and tasks.
8. Department of Science Technology and Training
- Direct continuous research and production of COVID vaccines and treatment drugs.
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9. Department of Planning and Finance
- Proactively advise on balancing and coordinating funding sources from national reserves, state budget, domestic and foreign organizations and other legal sources in accordance with developments in the epidemic situation.
- Provide expert guidance on improving financial mechanisms, processes and procedures for receiving aid, sponsorship, bidding, procurement, and reserve supplies, drugs (including private sector involvement), vaccines, and medical equipment, chemicals, etc. to support the epidemic prevention and control efforts.
- Collaborate with the Department of Human Resources to effectively implement policies aimed at enhancing the capabilities of preventive medicine and grassroots healthcare systems.
- Review and propose whether or not to continue taking COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control measures within their assigned functions and tasks.
10. Department of Legal Affairs
Maintain the role of a central authority and collaborate with other relevant departments to propose amendments or annulment of documents related to COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control that are no longer appropriate.
11. Department of Human Resources
- Provide ongoing guidance and resolution on COVID-19 prevention and control policies, including salary and allowance regulations, martyr recognition policies for medical staff who succumb to COVID-19 while on duty, and other relevant policies.
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12. Department of Infrastructure and Medical Equipment
- Improve mechanisms and policies to ensure the earliest access to new testing technologies, medical equipment, and biological products in support of epidemic prevention and control strategies.
- Establish a plan to guarantee the sufficiency of medical equipment for COVID-19 prevention and control at healthcare facilities, adapting to the developments of the epidemic situation.
- Take charge and coordinate with relevant units to review and propose improvement of mechanisms and policies to promote the development of domestically produced medical equipment.
13. Office of the Ministry of Health
- Assume responsibility for coordinating with the Department of Preventive Medicine, relevant departments, the Central Center for Health Education and Communication, Health and Life Newspaper, and other central information and press agencies to proactively develop and disseminate newsletters and media messages following the reclassification of COVID-19 from an infectious disease of group A to group B.
- Continuously provide up-to-date information on the evolving epidemic situation and advise the public to adhere to epidemic safety protocols commensurate with the prevailing risk level.
- Direct and guide units and local governments to communicate on COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control in accordance with the epidemic situation.
14. Department of International Cooperation
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- Implement international cooperation activities on developing drug and vaccine production technology.
- Mobilize international resources to respond to potential complications in the COVID-19 epidemic.
15. Department of Health Insurance
Provide guidance on health insurance coverage for COVID-19 treatment and payment of COVID-19 medical costs according to their assigned roles and tasks.
16. Department of Pediatrics and Maternal Health
- Review and update COVID-19 prevention and treatment guidelines for pregnant women, nursing mothers and newborns with COVID-19.
- Review and propose whether or not to continue taking COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control measures within their assigned functions and tasks.
17. Institutes of the Preventive Medicine System
- The Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology assesses and aggregates nationwide demand for COVID-19 vaccines, proposes and guides to make demand-building strategies, orders, and bids to procures vaccines as per the law.
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+ Provide expert technical advice to the Ministry of Health on COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control strategies, adapting to the evolution of the epidemic situation.
+ Continuously monitor and assess the evolving epidemic situation globally and within Vietnam, proactively forecasting risks to inform timely and decisive response plans
+ Develop a plan to monitor and implement COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control in the management area.
+ Coordinate and oversee the dissemination of information, training programs, guidance documents, directives, inspections, and support for local governments, agencies, and units engaged in activities related to epidemic surveillance, detection, control, testing, and vaccination.
+ Organize activities of the Public Health Emergency Operation Center (PHEOC), assess risks to support local governments in implementing epidemic prevention and control measures.
+ Sustain and enhance the readiness and capabilities of rapid response and mobile anti-epidemic teams to effectively support provinces and municipalities in investigating and managing COVID-19 outbreaks.
+ Issue clear directives and coordinate with local authorities to collect samples for genetic sequencing testing of unusual cases to identify virus variants.
+ Strengthen scientific research on epidemiology, monitoring of the evolution and mutation of pathogens.
+ Propose the development of technical and professional guidelines (surveillance, testing, vaccination, quarantine/isolation, environmental treatment...) in accordance with the evolution of the epidemic situation.
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18. Hospitals affiliated to the Ministry of Health
- Monitor developments in hospitalization, severe complications, and fatalities among hospitalized COVID-19 patients to enable timely predictions and informed recommendations for COVID prevention and control measures.
- Continuously review and adapt the plan for receiving and treating COVID-19 patients in accordance with the evolving epidemic situation.
- Prepare enough drugs, supplies, equipment, and oxygen for treatment.
- Regularly improve the professional capacity of medical staff, especially the hospital's intensive care , testing , and image diagnosis capacities.
- Develop and issue professional guidelines; organize training programs, knowledge updates, and skill-building exercises to enhance the professional capacities of front-line hospitals; consolidate and strengthen diagnostic testing capabilities; and stand ready to provide expert support to lower-level hospitals when needed.
- Provide direction and technical expertise to local hospitals, ministries, and agencies.
- Sustain and enhance the capabilities of mobile emergency teams while offering technical and professional support to frontline medical personnel in their preparation to receive, rescue, and treat patients.
- Gather, collect information, and report COVID cases, and promptly notify preventive medicine units of these cases and enhance effective coordination in epidemic management.
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- Proactively prepare and disseminate information to communication agencies and designate focal officers to provide information and communication contents as per the law.
19. Health Strategy and Policy Institute
Conduct scientific research to provide evidence and e expert advice to the Ministry of Health, relevant agencies in formulating and implementing effective epidemic prevention and control strategies and policies.
II. Coordination with Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and Governmental agencies
Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and Government agencies shall coordinate in the initiation of epidemic prevention and control measures as follows:
- Review and guide people on epidemic prevention and control measures appropriate to the evolution of the epidemic situation.
- Disseminate COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control information in suitable forms.
- Review and propose whether or not to continue taking COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control measures.
- Develop investment and incentive policies for preventive medicine and grassroots healthcare according to the Resolution of the National Assembly and the direction of the Government.
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1. Develop provincial plans for control and sustainable management of the COVID-19 epidemic for the period 2023-2025.
2. Assess the epidemic situation, and declare epidemic or declare end of epidemic in accordance with the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases; continue to monitor the epidemic situation closely in local governments and implement COVID-19 surveillance, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment; prevent and control COVID-19 infection in healthcare facilities in accordance with the instructions of the Ministry of Health.
3. Strengthen the Steering Committees for COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control at local levels to respond to the epidemic situation in their areas.
4. Review local documents and instructions on COVID-19 prevention and control for annulment or amendments according to authority.
5. Guarantee the capacity of health facilities to provide treatment, emergency care, and intensive care in the event of a complex epidemic.
6. Implement the COVID-19 vaccination program according to instructions from the Ministry of Health.
7. Communicate about epidemic prevention and control in accordance with the evolving epidemic situation according to the guidance of the Ministry of Health.
8. Ensure resources (human resources, funding, drugs, supplies, equipment) for epidemic prevention and control suitable for the epidemic situation.
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The Plan for control and sustainable management of the COVID-19 epidemic for the period 2023-2025 will be updated and adjusted according to the evolution of the epidemic.
References
1. Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases No. 03/2007/QH12 dated November 21, 2007.
2. Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 40/2009/QH12 dated November 23, 2009.
3. Conclusion No. 25-KL/TW dated December 30, 2021 of the Politburo on COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control (2022-2023).
4. Strategy for Preparedness and Response to COVID-19 for the period 2023-2025 - WHO, issued on May 3, 2023.
5. Conclusions from the 15th meeting of the WHO Emergency Committee on the International Health Regulations (2005) related to the COVID-19 epidemic.
6. Decision No. 2227/QD-BYT dated May 19, 2023 promulgating the plan for using COVID-19 vaccines in 2023.
7. Decision No. 26/2023/QD-TTg dated October 19, 2023 of the Prime Minister on amendments to the Appendix regulating the average incubation period and the time when no additional cases of infectious diseases are detected as a basis for declaring the end of epidemics promulgated together with Decision No. 02/2016/QD-TTg dated January 28, 2016 stipulating conditions for declaring epidemics and declaring the end of epidemics.
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I. BASIS FOR BUILDING THE PLAN
- Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases No. 03/2007/QH12 dated November 21, 2007.
- Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 40/2009/QH12 dated November 23, 2009.
- Resolution No. 80/2023/QH15 dated January 9, 2023 of the National Assembly on further implementing certain policies in COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control and extension of marketing authorization licenses of drugs and medicinal ingredients which expire from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2024
- Government's Decree No. 95/2022/ND-CP dated November 15, 2022 on functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Health.
- Official Dispatch No. 696/VPVP-KGVX dated February 7, 2023 of the Government Office regarding the opinions of Government members on the Ministry of Health's Proposal on the Plan.
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1- Emergence of new dangerous variants with the potential to spread rapidly and evade vaccines or immunity, leading to surges in infections, severe cases, and deaths, overwhelming the healthcare system.
2- Criteria:
(1) Virus: New, more virulent variants of the virus are reducing vaccine effectiveness, leading to a dramatic increase in infections, severe cases, and deaths.
(2) COVID-19 vaccines: Current vaccines may be less effective against new SARS-CoV-2 variants.
(3) Epidemic situation: Infections, severe cases, and deaths are increasing rapidly, especially in densely populated and economically active provinces and cities, tourism areas, and many industrial zones.
- Weekly incidence rate of new cases per 100,000 people in a province or city ≥ 450.
- Seven-day average oxygen provision rate per 100,000 people in a province or city ≥ 32.
(4) Exceeding the capacity of the healthcare system: Insufficient hospital beds and limited access to treatment advice:
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- Ratio of intensive care unit (ICU) beds with enough medical staff per 100,000 people: <4/100,000 people.
1. Objectives
Enhance preparedness and response capacity to effectively address new, more dangerous COVID-19 variants and large-scale outbreaks that exceed healthcare system capacity. Ensure effective epidemic control, control the rate of spread in the community, maximally protect people's health and lives, minimize cases of serious illness and deaths due to COVID-19 epidemic, support socioeconomic recovery and development.
2. Specific targets
a) Governments at all levels promulgate and implement plans and scenarios for emergence of new dangerous COVID variants with the potential to spread rapidly and evade vaccines or immunity, leading to surges in infections, severe cases, and deaths, overwhelming the healthcare system.
b) Achieve the required COVID-19 vaccine coverage rate
Over 80% of vulnerable and high-risk populations (those over 50 years old, people with underlying diseases, immunodeficiency, pregnant women, health workers and frontliners) are vaccinated against new COVID-19 variants (if any).
c) Control the spread of COVID-19
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Medically declare, monitor, and test at least 95% of people entering through border checkpoints from countries with dangerous variants, and diagnose suspect cases promptly.
+ 100% of provinces monitor, detect, and report new cases daily.
+ 100% of outbreaks are monitored, localized, and thoroughly handled.
+ 100% of unusual outbreaks (with rapid spread, widespread occurrence, high rate of serious illness) are monitored and representative samples are taken for genetic sequencing to detect dangerous variants of the SARS-CoV-2.
- Reduce the COVID-19 fatality rate per 1 million people to a level lower than the Asian average.
- All people comply with appropriate epidemic prevention and control measures:
+ >95% of people in high-risk areas perform 5K (Mask - Disinfection - Distance - Do not gather - Medical declaration) according to recommendations of the Ministry of Health and specific local regulations.
+ >95% of infected people comply with quarantine and have access to appropriate examination and treatment services.
- 100% of industrial parks, business establishments, and workers comply with appropriate epidemic safety protocols.
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- 100% of district-level and higher health facilities implement online telehealth.
- 100% of district-level and higher health facilities will have extra supply of hospital beds and sufficient number of intensive care beds according to the guidance of the Ministry of Health.
- 100% of public and non-public health facilities (including preventive health facilities, normal health facilities) have plans to mobilize and assign units to participate in COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control.
- 100% of people with severe and critical cases of COVID-19 receive treatment and health care according to regulations.
- Ensure adequate supply of essential drugs for epidemic prevention and control.
dd) Guarantee epidemic prevention and control capacity in industrial parks and production and business establishments.
100% of industrial parks and business establishments have plans to ensure availability of facilities, medical care, isolation, and on-site treatment of COVID-19 patients.
e) Protect populations vulnerable to the COVID-19 epidemic
100% of vulnerable populations (elderly people, people with underlying health conditions, people with disabilities, pregnant women, homeless people, orphans, ethnic minorities, migrant workers in urban areas, etc.) may access to medical services when needed.
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- Provide regular and timely information, ensuring that people are fully, accurately, transparently, and promptly informed about the epidemic situation, prevention and control measures, and COVID-19 vaccination.
- Proactively provide timely, accurate, transparent, efficient, and synchronized information and communication on COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control risks, to shape public opinion and build consensus, and to create social trust in implementation; promptly manage and handle communication crises related to epidemic prevention and control and COVID-19 vaccination.
h) Information technology targets
100% of health facilities and related units roll out information technology applications in managing and sharing information on cases, deaths, vaccines, testing, treatment, logistics, and monitoring people exposed to COVID, managing specimen collection and reporting test results, applications to declare, support and manage people with COVID-19.
i) Ensure maintenance of essential health care services.
100% of health facilities regularly and continuously maintain essential health care services (admission, emergency care, patient treatment; implementation of expanded vaccination; prevention, control, and management of non-communicable diseases; pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and newborn care; providing family planning services).
1. Direction and administration work
- Activate plans to respond to emergence of new dangerous variants with the potential to spread rapidly and evade vaccines or immunity, leading to surges in infections, severe cases, and deaths, overwhelming the healthcare system.
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- Report to the Prime Minister to propose the National Assembly Standing Committee or the National Assembly assigns the Government and Prime Minister to decide a number of urgent solutions below:
+ Authorize the adoption of a number of emergency measures to prevent and control the epidemic, in accordance with the law on the state of emergency: including purchasing and requisitioning facilities, medical equipment, drugs, chemicals, and biological products , test kits, medical supplies, public service facilities, transportation, and other resources to control the epidemic.
+ Decide and implement measures not yet prescribed by law to meet the urgent requirements of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control.
- Based on the Decision of the National Assembly, the Government, ministries, agencies, and local governments urgently issue instructions within the scope of their authority.
- Strengthen the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control and the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in provinces. The Ministry of Health advises the Prime Minister to direct the Secretaries of provinces to directly act as Heads of the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee holds regular or extraordinary meetings when necessary to issue guiding documents for timely, synchronous, and unified implementation of epidemic safety protocols.
- Steering Committees of provinces send daily reports to the National Steering Committee.
- Propose to the Government to clearly define the authority of the National Steering Committee and local Steering Committees in deciding on epidemic safety protocols for unified and timely direction.
- The Steering Committee has the role of unifying and coordinating epidemic prevention activities among ministries, agencies and member agencies so that units and local governments can use it as a basis for implementation according to their assigned functions and tasks.
- Based on the directions of the National Steering Committee, the Steering Committee of province implements the directives of the National Steering Committee in accordance with the actual situation of the epidemic in their province and other provinces.
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2.1. Supervision
- Implement flexible medical declaration procedures, adapting them as needed to the epidemic situation.
- Conduct targeted testing (risk subjects, risk areas) for risk assessment, monitor and detect COVID cases early in the community, and thoroughly respond to new outbreaks.
- Carry out regular risk assessments to adjust appropriate epidemic prevention and control measures.
- Investigate those in close contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases.
- Implement localized containment measures, thoroughly suppress the epidemic, and minimize economic and social impacts.
- Monitor and supervise testing to detect new variants and changes in pathogenicity, transmissibility, immune response and effectiveness of anti-epidemic measures. Periodically and systematically synthesize and analyze genetic sequencing results from testing laboratories nationwide to provide expert advice on direction, administration, and epidemic prevention and control.
2.2. Isolation, infection prevention, and public and social health measures
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- Implement home quarantine for mild cases and close contacts according to instructions from the Ministry of Health. Limit centralized quarantine.
- Refrain from imposing a broad-area lockdown, but implement localized lockdowns within households or household clusters as needed.
- Limit social distancing on a large scale. Only implement social distancing when other measures cannot control the epidemic.
- Apply measures to limit or reduce the occupancy rates of some means of public passenger transport; advise people not to leave their residence for a certain period of time, in some necessary areas.
2.3. Treatment
- Perform well the patient classification and treatment triage according to the guidance of the Ministry of Health. Effective combination of treatment at home and at health facilities.
- Establish and activate COVID-19 treatment areas at hospitals at all levels.
- Establish field hospitals and intensive care units only when necessary, as determined by the degree of overload and beyond control.
- Organize remote treatment of COVID-19 (Telehealth): health facilities proactively coordinate with central hospitals and medical experts to carry out COVID-19 telehealth.
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- Strengthen the establishment of mobile medical stations in residential areas, mobile medical stations in industrial parks to support the management and care of asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic COVID-19 infected people, and teams which care people with COVID-19 in the community, a group of accompanying doctors, etc.
- Maintain continuous operations of central hospitals, provincial polyclinic hospitals, and district-level and province-level specialty hospitals to ensure the continuation of essential health services, including services for vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, the elderly, people with chronical illnesses.
- Mobilize the entire system of health facilities of the health sector, ministries, agencies, health facilities of universities, private health facilities, and health facilities of agencies and offices, business establishments participating in the admission, management and treatment of COVID-19 patients during a large local outbreak.
2.4. Vaccination
- Access, find supplies and roll out effective vaccination against new virus variants (if any).
- Review and prioritize COVID-19 vaccination in the shortest possible time for high-risk areas (with potential for large outbreaks and rapid spread) and high-risk individuals (people over 50 years old, people with chronic underlying diseases, immunodeficient people, pregnant women, medical staff, frontline staff participating in epidemic prevention and control).
- Mobilize all resources to organize vaccination as quickly as possible, achieving high coverage rates.
2.5. Ensure maintenance of essential health care services
- Maintain continuous availability and operability of emergency services, including emergency transportation and mobile emergency care.
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- Expanded vaccination.
- Prevent, control, and manage non-communicable diseases.
- Give pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum care; newborn care; provide family planning services.
2.6. Biomedical waste treatment and treatment of COVID deaths
- Healthcare facilities, facilities that admit and treat COVID-19 patients, and local governments must develop and implement plans for the classification, collection, transportation, and treatment of waste generated in COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control, in accordance with regulations.
- Rigorously implement hygiene measures in the burial, cremation, and disposal of patient waste to protect participants, prevent community transmission, and mitigate environmental pollution.
2.7. Personal prevention
- Re-implement mass gathering restrictions, maintain physical distancing, and require health declarations.
- Implement the 5K requirements and other appropriate measures in a flexible and responsive manner, based on the current epidemic situation.
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- Communicate timely information on epidemic developments, new variants, epidemic situation, prevention and control measures, patient treatment, and COVID-19 vaccination.
- Update and supplement messages and recommendations for epidemic prevention and control appropriate to the epidemic situation, promptly communicate to people, prioritizing areas with outbreaks. Communicate recommendations, instructions, and mobilize people to participate in new COVID-19 vaccination (if any).
- Use diversified media channels and leverage community COVID groups, local political and socioeconomic organizations to disseminate recommendations and epidemic safety protocols to households.
- Regularly monitor public opinion and information on social networks, manage and promptly handle false information, fake news, and rumors related to COVID-19 prevention and control and vaccination.
Provide medical staff with training on new techniques, new technology in epidemiology, case management, outbreak response, vaccination, treatment, and communication.
- Uniformly and effectively apply the application of information technology in managing and sharing information on cases, deaths, vaccines, testing, treatment, and logistics.
- Promote the application of information technology in contact tracing, patient sample collection management, and test result reporting; application to declare, support and manage people with COVID-19.
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- Promote diplomacy of vaccines, drugs, supplies, equipment and equipment based on actual needs and recommendations of specialized agencies to promptly receive them as soon as possible to serve COVID prevention and control.
- Promote information sharing through the national focal points that implement the International Health Regulations (2005) on virus variations and epidemic situations of countries.
- Promote international cooperation in the fields of research on agents, epidemiology, prevention and control measures, drugs, vaccines, biological products, and new treatment methods.
Research and/or receive technology transfer and production of vaccines, drugs, testing biological products, and medical equipment.
- Proactively develop plans, identify procurement funding sources and reasonable procurement methods to promptly access new generation COVID-19 vaccines and treatment drugs for COVID prevention and control.
- Secure adequate treatment beds, drugs, consumables, chemicals, biological products, supplies, and equipment, following the "four on-site" principle and mobilizing and coordinating support from neighboring local governments and the central government:
+ Establish the supply of oxygen in large quantities.
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+ Resume the distribution of home treatment medicine kits and welfare packages.
+ Guarantee the operational readiness of COVID-19 treatment areas of hospitals at all levels.
+ Re-establish field hospitals to treat COVID-19.
- Propose the Government to allocate national reserves and provide timely support of drugs, chemicals, specialized supplies, and protective equipment to local governments (if local response capacity is exceeded).
- Mobilize health facilities, including private healthcare, industry healthcare, and healthcare at business establishments to participate in COVID prevention and control.
- Mobilize appropriate specialized departments or quickly train staff in COVID-19 treatment and prevention techniques.
- A list of health facilities supporting COVID-19 prevention and treatment in local governments is available. Ensure that human resources involved in COVID-19 prevention and control are appropriately trained and deployed.
- Prioritize the mobilization of support resources and timely assistance to epidemic-affected local governments and areas, following unified coordination from the central to local levels.
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- Direct the drastic, timely, appropriate and effective implementation of COVID prevention and control according to the direction and conclusions of the Party Central Committee, Politburo, Secretariat, National Assembly and Government.
- Request the National Assembly to authorize the Government and the Prime Minister to implement urgent COVID-19 prevention and control measures.
- Strengthen the National Steering Committee for COVID prevention and control.
2. Affiliates of the Ministry of Health
2.1. Department of Preventive Medicine
- Act as the standing agency for COVID prevention and control of the Ministry of Health.
- Provide expert guidance to the Ministry of Health on COVID-19 prevention and control measures.
Advise the leaders of the Ministry of Health in directing health units nationwide to implement COVID prevention and control according to each epidemic situation.
- Maintain regular updates and summaries of the domestic and international epidemic situation, and report them to the Ministry of Health, the Government, the Prime Minister, and relevant units.
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- Maintain regular operations of Public Health Emergency Operation Centers (PHEOC) affiliated to the Ministry of Health, regularly organize risk assessments, identify epidemic situations, and implement COVID-19 prevention and control measures proportionate to the epidemic risk level.
- Advise and guide local governments to determine the risk level of COVID-19 epidemic, conditions for changing COVID-19 epidemic situation, to ensure a synchronized approach nationwide.
- Direct and implement improvements to epidemiological surveillance capacity, including regular and sentinel COVID-19 surveillance to monitor the circulation and spread of COVID-19 variants.
- Direct and coordinate with relevant units in applying science and technology in monitoring, analyzing and forecasting the epidemic situation. Build an epidemiological database to serve forecasting and monitoring.
- Direct and guide the appropriate, timely, scientific and effective implementation of testing to detect SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, variants, and disease-causing capabilities; ensuring that Centers for Disease Control (CDC) laboratories have a higher biosafety level, and providing regulations and professional guidance on assessing epidemic risk levels, testing, quarantine, etc.
- Direct surveillance and testing to detect variants of concern (VOCs) and changes in pathogenicity, transmissibility and effectiveness of prevention and intervention measures.
- Continue to direct the safe, scientific and effective implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign nationwide; effectively organize COVID-19 vaccination campaign nationwide.
- Direct the monitoring of COVID-19 vaccine coverage rates, update data, and demand for COVID-19 vaccines.
- Direct the assessment of percentages of COVID vaccination coverage required to achieve herd immunity.
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- Review, evaluate and promptly propose amendments, supplements and updates to regulations and professional instructions (instructions for monitoring and assessing epidemic levels, testing, quarantine, health declaration, etc.), consistent with the evolving COVID-19 epidemic situation. Direct and provide training for medical staff at all levels on epidemic surveillance and prevention nationwide.
- Act as a focal point for implementing the International Health Regulations, sharing information with international organizations and other countries.
- Coordinate with relevant units of ministries and agencies to implement COVID prevention and control.
- Coordinate with agencies and units of ministries, agencies and local governments to develop guidelines, indicators and organize monitoring, inspection, evaluation, preliminary and final reviews of the implementation of the Plan.
- Estimate drugs, consumables, biological products, supplies, equipment, chemicals... for COVID prevention and control.
- Make a consolidated report on performance, difficulties, and solutions for COVID-19 prevention and control.
- Coordinate with units affiliated to Ministry and relevant units to improve mechanisms, policies, and laws on COVID prevention and control to propose or amend existing policies and laws, and promptly resolve difficulties hindering COVID prevention and control.
- Act as a focal point to propose the establishment of working groups to direct, urge, inspect and supervise COVID prevention and control in local governments and units.
2.2. Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Administration
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- Regularly update professional instructions on treatment, testing, and infection prevention
- Convene professional council meetings and conduct medical consultations to support the treatment of serious and critical cases.
- Establish a network of health facilities to admit and treat COVID-19 patients infected with new virus strains, tailored to the local epidemic situation to avoid overload and minimize patient referrals.
- Direct all health facilities in the treatment system to properly implement patient triage, isolation, emergency care, and treatment in accordance with the local epidemic situation.
- Direct COVID-19 treatment facilities to promptly update medical examination and treatment data, and to provide flexible, scientific, and effective monitoring, examination, and rehabilitation for COVID-19 patients.
- Direct the consolidation of the system, the out-of-hospital emergency network and the professional guidance teams for lower levels. Direct the implementation of community-based management, care, treatment, and support activities for people at high risk of severe illness.
- Regularly evaluate admission, treatment, severity and mortality to learn from treatment experiences and update professional guidance.
- Review, develop, update, and amend guidelines for diagnosis, treatment, and infection prevention in hospitals and submit them to Ministry leaders for approval.
- Direct and provide training to improve professional competence, comprehensively strengthen the treatment capacity of the health facility system, especially the intensive care capacity of hospitals from district level or upwards.
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- Enhance the application of information technology, telehealth, and online medical consultation in routine medical examination and treatment. Set up a health monitoring system through local health facilities and companion physicians (support via phone or internet, etc.).
- Provide strong guidance and technical support, coordinate with the Department of Human Resources to mobilize and rotate human resources as needed, and promptly support provinces if the epidemic exceeds local treatment capacity.
- Direct Departments of Health to regularly compile and report on treatment system capacity indicators, such as the number of hospital beds, intensive care beds, intensive care staff, and intensive care equipment and drugs, and to develop plans to strengthen and improve these indicators. Regularly monitor and periodically assess the risk of health system overload, particularly hospital bed and intensive care capacities.
- Provide guidance and technical support for provinces to deploy mobile medical stations and COVID-19 care teams in the community.
- Coordinate with units in estimating drugs, consumables, biological products, supplies, equipment, chemicals... for COVID prevention and control. Review and update the list of required equipment, supplies, essential medicines, personal protective equipment for COVID-19 treatment areas, and medical oxygen.
- Conduct inspections and urge local governments and entities to strictly implement patient triage and infection prevention and control at hospitals and to maintain a sustained response to the epidemic.
2.3. Health Environment Management Agency
- Continue to coordinate with units affiliated to Ministry of Education and Training to review and update documents guiding COVID prevention and control in educational establishments in accordance with the new situation if necessary.
- Maintain ongoing collaboration with affiliates of ministries and relevant agencies to regularly review and update guidelines and protocols pertaining to medical waste management and environmental sanitation in health facilities; COVID prevention and control in labor establishments and industrial parks, as circumstances may necessitate.
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2.4. Drug Administration of Vietnam
- Have appropriate solutions to ensure the supply of drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 patients and people with other diseases.
- Accelerate the process of licensing, price management, and marketing authorization applications for drugs, medicinal ingredients, and vaccines to serve the prevention and control of COVID-19, especially in emergency situations.
- Complete mechanisms and policies to promote the production, technology transfer, processing of COVID treatment drugs, and early access to new generation vaccines and biological products in the prevention and control of COVID-19 epidemic.
2.5. Department of Traditional Medicine and Pharmacy Administration
- Review and improve mechanisms and policies to support domestic production and application of traditional medicine in COVID prevention, control, and treatment.
- Collaborate with the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Administration to thoroughly evaluate, revise, and update COVID-19 clinical protocols, integrating modern medical approaches with traditional medicine to ensure scientific validity and effectiveness.
2.6. Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control
Implement measures to ensure uninterrupted provision of care and treatment services to people with HIV/AIDS.
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- Continue implementation of scientific and technological tasks to proactively research and apply vaccines, in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDs), medical equipment, prevention methods and COVID treatment drugs (including traditional methods and medicines).
- Direct the improvement of scientific research capacity on epidemiology, predictive assessment, laboratory science, drugs, vaccines, protective immunity following vaccination, post-infection, and the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 virus.
- Direct and guide the implementation of research on health and psychosocial issues related to the COVID-19 epidemic, health problems due to prolonged COVID-19 syndrome and other issues related to the COVID-19 epidemic.
- Recommend improvements to policies and regulations on research and development, to facilitate the rapid development and transfer of vaccines, drugs, and biological products for COVID-19 prevention and control and COVID-19 treatment support, while ensuring the quality, scientific rigor, and ethics of biomedical research.
2.8. Department of Planning and Finance
- Proactively advise the leaders of the Ministry of Health on creating, using, proposing national reserves and coordinating resources from the state budget, domestic and foreign organizations for COVID prevention and control.
- Provide expert guidance on improving financial mechanisms, processes and procedures for receiving aid, sponsorship, bidding, procurement, and reserve supplies, drugs (including private sector involvement), vaccines, and medical equipment, chemicals, etc. to support the epidemic prevention and control efforts.
- Review, supplement, and amend legal documents to address the confirmation of aid for medical equipment, biological products, and test kits to serve the prevention and control of COVID-19, especially in urgent situations.
- Summarize the funding needs for COVID prevention and control of affiliated budgeting units, report to competent authorities to allocate funds to units for implementation according to regulations.
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- Act as a focal point to monitor and gather material resources supported by domestic and foreign businesses, organizations and individuals for COVID prevention and control.
- Participate in research to propose the establishment of a COVID Prevention and Control Fund based on the COVID-19 Vaccine Fund when directed by the Government.
- Coordinate with the Department of Human Resources to implement activities to improve the capacity of the grassroots health system.
2.9. Department of Legal Affairs
- Coordinate with units affiliated to Ministry and relevant units to review and amend regulations on COVID prevention and control according to authority to ensure proper implementation according to regulations of law; specialized units develop and submit to competent authorities for issuance of documents guiding the implementation of resolutions of the Government and National Assembly.
2.10. Department of Human Resources
- Synthesize, propose and provide guidance on mobilizing human resources to participate in COVID-19 prevention and control. Mobilize private health facilities to participate in COVID prevention and control.
- Provide ongoing guidance and resolution on COVID-19 prevention and control policies, including salary and allowance regulations, martyr recognition policies for medical staff who succumb to COVID-19 while on duty, and other relevant policies. for the health system, especially preventive healthcare, and grassroots healthcare.
- Propose 100% of occupational incentive allowances for preventive medicine and grassroots health workers, and special and preferential regimes for forces participating in epidemic prevention and control.
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.11. Department of Medical Equipment and Construction
- Resolve the licensing of medical equipment, biological products, and test kits to serve the prevention and control of COVID-19, especially in urgent situations.
- Provide expert guidance on earliest access to new testing technologies, medical equipment, and biological products in support of epidemic prevention and control strategies.
- Advise and propose coordination of oxygen supply to health facilities.
- Review the quotas and needs of medical equipment to prevent and control COVID-19 at the facility and the supply capacity of suppliers to have appropriate solutions to ensure the supply of medical equipment, prevent shortages of medical equipment for the treatment of COVID-19 patients and other patients.
2.12. Department of International Cooperation
- Continue to promote international cooperation activities, promote cooperation with United Nations organizations, especially the World Health Organization; proactively exchange with countries and international organizations to update information on the epidemic situation and effective COVID prevention and control measures.
- Coordinate with specialized agencies affiliated to Ministry of Foreign Affairs for information sharing and international cooperation in COVID prevention and control.
- Act as a focal point and mobilize professional and technical resources from international organizations and other resources for the COVID-19 prevention and control.
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- Provide expert guidance on formulation and amendments to documents regulating and guiding health insurance-covered healthcare and payment of medical costs thereof related to the COVID-19 epidemic.
- Review proposals to simplify documents for payment of health insurance-covered medical costs; propose the removal of current barriers, overlaps, problems and inadequacies in the policy of payment of health insurance-covered medical costs in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic.
2.14. Department of Pediatrics and Maternal Health
- Act as a focal point to guide and direct COVID-19 prevention and treatment for pregnant women, nursing mothers and newborns infected with COVID-19. Promptly update and amend regulations and professional guidance on management, care, and treatment.
- Supervise and inspect the implementation of medical examination and treatment for pregnant women, nursing mothers and newborns in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic.
- Improve professional capacity, comprehensively consolidate the treatment capacity of the medical examination and treatment system specialized in obstetrics, gynecology and neonatology; ensure intensive care capacity for the team of obstetricians, gynecologists/neonatologists and midwives; provide support in Healthcare practices, implement a human resource mobilization and rotation strategy to promptly support provinces facing challenges in treating and caring for pregnant women and newborns during epidemic surges.
2.15. Inspector of the Ministry of Health
- Develop plans, strengthen inspections of public duties, inspections of procurement, bidding, management, use of resources and funding for COVID prevention and control, and promptly detect and strictly handle violations against laws.
- Instruct relevant units to prioritize public communication, transparency, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency in COVID-19 prevention and control efforts, while actively combating misconducts, corruption, and waste.
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2.16. Office of the Ministry of Health
- Advise the leaders of the Ministry of Health in mobilizing, coordinating and urging units affiliated to Ministry and directly affiliated to Ministry in implementing COVID prevention and control.
- Coordinate with relevant units to review, develop, improve and implement mechanisms, policies, and laws on COVID prevention and control.
- Advise leaders of the Ministry of Health to direct and guide units and local governments to implement effective communication strategies for COVID-19 prevention and control and COVID-19 vaccination.
- Act as a focal point and coordinate with the Department of Preventive Medicine, the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, the National Expanded Vaccination Program and relevant departments, agencies and units to provide press agencies with information about the COVID-19 epidemic situation, prevention and control measures, COVID-19 vaccination efforts, and relevant scientific information, including data on the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination.
- Act as a focal point to propose conversions, develop and supplement communication messages and materials, and recommendations on COVID-19 prevention and control and COVID-19 vaccination in accordance with the epidemic situation; provide information for press and media agencies, local governments and units to carry out extensive communication to the people.
- Coordinate with press agencies to communicate about COVID prevention and control and COVID-19 vaccination. Manage communication on social media channels of the Ministry of Health (Facebook, Zalo, Youtube, TikTok, Viber...) about COVID prevention and control and COVID-19 vaccination.
- Coordinate with departments, agencies and units of the Ministry of Health, local governments, management agencies, press and media agencies to provide accurate information and refute rumors and fake and untrue news related to COVID-19 prevention and control and COVID-19 vaccination.
- Advise relevant units and local governments to enhance communication efforts that highlight the contributions, efforts, and sacrifices made by individuals and groups involved in COVID-19 prevention and control and COVID-19 vaccination. Summarize requests from units and propose timely rewards to groups and individuals with outstanding achievements in COVID prevention and control and COVID-19 vaccination.
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- Build an information system to direct, monitor, and forecast the COVID-19 epidemic.
- Initiate, maintain and upgrade the COVID-19 Vaccination Management Platform to form the National Vaccination Management Platform.
- Coordinate on initiation of the application of the national population database (VneID) to connect, authenticate, and share data on COVID-19 prevention and control, including updated information on people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
- Develop and guide the initiation of information technology applications in monitoring, reporting cases, managing vaccination, testing, treatment, remote treatment, managing medical equipment and supplies, assets, etc. to support epidemic prevention and control efforts.
2.18. Institutes of the Preventive Medicine System
- Provide expert technical advice to the Ministry of Health on COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control strategies.
- Coordinate and oversee the dissemination of information, training programs, guidance documents, directives, inspections, and support for local governments, agencies, and units engaged in activities related to epidemic surveillance, detection, control, testing, and vaccination.
- Organize activities of the Public Health Emergency Operation Center (PHEOC), assess risks to support local governments in implementing epidemic prevention and control measures.
- Closely monitor the evolving epidemic situation in the designated area to provide analytical insights, assess performance, offer support, and guide provinces in effectively monitoring the epidemic and promptly implementing COVID-19 prevention and control measures
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- Support provincial health authorities in early detection of cases of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, epidemiological investigation, classification, screening, and strict isolation; monitor clusters of acute respiratory infections with related epidemiological factors at health facilities and in the community.
- Issue clear directives and coordinate with local authorities to collect samples for genetic sequencing testing of unusual cases to identify virus variants, share genetic sequencing results with other laboratories and international organizations.
- Perform analysis, warnings, and forecasts of COVID-19 epidemic. Direct and guide the implementation of isolation, zoning, epidemic response and reducing the risk of infection.
- Strengthen scientific research on epidemiology, monitor the evolution and mutation of pathogens and immunology.
- Proactively prepare equipment and biological products and coordinate with local governments to deploy tests to detect new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
- The National Expanded Vaccination Program oversees the nationwide implementation of COVID-19 vaccination, while the Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and the Pasteur Institute guide regional COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
- Direct and coordinate the organization of training, coaching, and monitor the implementation of tasks in the assigned provinces.
- Conduct scientific research on epidemiology, microbiology, immunology and related factors of the COVID-19 epidemic, prevention measures, preventive vaccines, and COVID-19 testing biological products.
- Propose the development of technical and professional guidelines (surveillance, testing, vaccination, quarantine, environmental rehabilitation, etc.).
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- Mobilize experts and technical staff to participate in COVID prevention and control.
- Establish working groups to directly support and supervise local governments in monitoring and handling environmental sanitation and disinfection and medical waste treatment at outbreaks.
2.19. Hospitals affiliated to the Ministry of Health
- Continuously review and adapt the plan for receiving and treating COVID-19 patients in accordance with the evolving epidemic situation. Arrange and maintain isolation facilities with sufficient staffing capacities to operate partially or fully depending on local prevailing epidemic situation, ensuring readiness to promptly receive and treat COVID-19 patients. Simultaneously, uphold the hospital's ability to provide regular emergency and treatment services during epidemic scenarios.
- Prepare enough drugs, supplies, equipment, and oxygen for treatment.
- Regularly improve the professional capacity of medical staff, especially the hospital's intensive care, testing, image diagnosis capacities, and infection control.
- Develop and issue professional guidelines; organize training programs, knowledge updates, and skill-building exercises to enhance the professional capacities of front-line hospitals; consolidate and strengthen diagnostic testing capabilities; and stand ready to provide expert support to lower-level hospitals when needed.
- Provide direction and technical expertise to local hospitals, ministries, and agencies.
- Upon assignment, actively contribute to the establishment and operation of treatment facilities in epidemic-affected regions.
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- Gather, collect information, and report COVID cases, and promptly notify preventive medicine units of these cases and enhance effective coordination in epidemic management.
- Carry out COVID cluster surveillance, sentinel surveillance, event-based surveillance, surveillance of severe viral pneumonia (SVP) cases.
- Conduct scientific research on clinical protocols and pathways and health rehabilitation for people with COVID-19.
- Proactively propose the establishment of satellite hospitals and field hospitals to reduce hospital overload.
- Participate in inspection and supervision teams of the Ministry of Health and Department of Health when required.
2.20. Health Strategy and Policy Institute
Conduct scientific research to provide evidence and e expert advice to the Ministry of Health, relevant agencies in formulating and implementing effective epidemic prevention and control strategies and policies.
2.21. Health and Life Newspaper, Central Health Education and Communication Center
Coordinate with the Office of the Ministry of Health and relevant units to perform tasks as assigned on communication about COVID-19 prevention and control.
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VI. COORDINATION WITH MINISTRIES, MINISTERIAL-LEVEL AGENCIES, AND GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES
The Ministry of Health requests ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and Governmental agencies, according to their assigned functions and tasks, to coordinate in implementing COVID prevention and control measures, in specific:
1. Coordination with the Ministry of National Defense
- Mobilize military forces to deploy COVID prevention and control in key areas and in a state of epidemic emergency; prepare mobile forces to promptly reinforce local governments in case the epidemic surpasses local capacities.
- Direct and initiate the reception, storage, transportation, and administration of COVID-19 vaccines for the people during peak periods.
- Direct and implement the quarantine of immigrants and people infected with COVID-19.
- Direct Institutes and Hospitals affiliated to Ministry to share genetic sequencing results obtained from SAR-CoV-2 virus testing samples.
2. Coordination with the Ministry of Public Security
-Receive and connect data on vaccination, testing, and management of people recovering from COVID-19 to the national population database to support the COVID-19 prevention and control efforts.
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- Prepare mobile forces to promptly reinforce local governments in case the epidemic surpasses local control capacity.
- Ensure security, safety and order for COVID prevention and control measures.
- Address media crises and misinformation about COVID-19.
3. Coordination with the Ministry of Information and Communications
- Build and operate application platforms and IT infrastructure in COVID prevention and control; develop connection technical standards, ensure information security and privacy of citizens' personal data; ensure telecommunications infrastructure for COVID prevention and control and medical examination and treatment.
- Strongly promote the national digital transformation program in healthcare sector to support COVID prevention and control efforts.
- Promote communication and recommend appropriate COVID prevention and control measures in epidemic situations. Address media crises and misinformation about COVID-19.
4. Coordination with the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs
- Guide COVID-19 prevent and control measures at social care facilities under their authority.
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- Guide procedures for recognizing martyrs for medical staff who succumb to COVID while on duty.
5. Coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Further monitor and analyze the evolving COVID-19 epidemic landscape both domestically and internationally, and adapt national policies on COVID-19 prevention and control, economic reopening, and socioeconomic recovery accordingly; collaborate with international partners to mobilize resources effectively, ensuring a robust response to the epidemic and a sustainable recovery path.
- Continue to promote health diplomacy, especially vaccine and drug diplomacy in situations where virus mutations require updating new vaccines and COVID treatment drugs.
- Promptly deploy measures to protect citizens and coordinate to quickly and effectively handle issues related to foreigners entering the country for the COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control.
6. Coordination with the Ministry of Industry and Trade
Review and guide COVID prevention and control measures at organizations, business, and service establishments (including shopping malls, supermarkets, and markets), ensuring safety during COVID prevention and control measures in business settings.
7. Coordination with the Ministry of Transport
Review and guide COVID prevention and control measures on means of transport, at traffic projects and works to ensure effective COVID-19 prevention and control.
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Review and guide the classification and collection of COVID-19-related waste.
9. Coordination with the Ministry of Finance
- Ensure adequate financial resources to implement the COVID prevention and control program.
- Establish and maintain a stable financial source for the operations of the COVID-19 Epidemic Prevention Fund based on the COVID-19 Vaccine Fund.
- Develop policies and instructions for using funds in COVID prevention and control.
10. Coordination with the Ministry of Planning and Investment
- Review and propose incentive policies to attract investment in the production of vaccines, treatment drugs, biological products, and testing equipment that meet international standards.
- Review and guide procurement and bidding mechanisms in an emergency situation.
11. Coordination with the Ministry of Education and Training
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- Implement a safe and age-appropriate vaccination program for students with each type of vaccine.
12. Coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism
- Review and guide safe, flexible adaption and effective control of the COVID-19 epidemic in cultural, sports and tourism activities.
- Establish guidelines for authorizing cultural, sports, tourism, and festival events in accordance with prevailing epidemic risk levels and geographical considerations.
13. Coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Review and guide to ensure safety during COVID-19 preventing and control measures in agricultural, forestry, fishery, and salt production activities.
14. Coordination with the Ministry of Science and Technology
- Mobilize scientists and experts to research and propose solutions to prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic.
- Enhance scientific research and technology development, particularly in the production of vaccines, biological products, COVID-19 treatment drugs, medical equipment, and intervention measures for the prevention and control of COVID-19.
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Review and propose legal policies on COVID prevention and control, propose amendments to problems related to epidemic prevention and control measures.
16. Coordination with the Ministry of Home Affairs
- Review the organizational apparatus to consolidate the grassroots and preventive health system.
- Provide guidance on commendation in COVID prevention and control.
- Develop preferential policies for the health sector and medical staff.
17. Coordination with Vietnam Social Insurance
- Formulate and amend documents regulating and guiding health insurance-covered healthcare and payment of medical costs thereof related to the COVID-19 epidemic.
- Simplify documents for payment of health insurance-covered medical costs; propose the removal of current barriers, overlaps, problems and inadequacies in the policy of payment of health insurance-covered medical costs in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic.
18. Coordination with Committee for Ethnic Affairs
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19. Coordinate with Vietnam News Agency, Vietnam Television, and Voice of Vietnam
Effectively communicate COVID-19 prevention and control measures appropriate to the evolving epidemic situation.
20. Coordination with the Vietnam Fatherland Front and member organizations
- Mobilize people to raise awareness and voluntarily comply with COVID prevention and control measures.
- Mobilize resources to support society efforts in COVID prevention and control.
21. Coordination with the Central Mass Mobilization Committee
Intensify community mobilization efforts to actively engage society in preventing and controlling the COVID-19 epidemic.
1. Direction to the People's Committees of provinces
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- Review and strengthen the Steering Committee for COVID prevention and control at all levels in accordance with epidemic situations.
- Conduct unified direction in COVID prevention and control; activate the entire political system to implement epidemic safety protocols in the area.
- Direct the assessment of the epidemic risk levels to take appropriate measures that safeguard public health while ensuring economic growth and social security.
- Ensure resources (human resources, funding, equipment) for epidemic prevention and control suitable for the epidemic situation.
- Direct and mobilize all resources for local COVID-19 vaccination to ensure coverage of target populations according to instructions from the Ministry of Health.
- Strengthen the grassroots healthcare and preventative healthcare system, improve the quality of health facilities for epidemic prevention and control.
- Proactively propose support from the central government and provinces for COVID prevention and control in situations that overwhelm local response capacities.
- Strengthen urging and inspection, particularly at the grassroots level, to ensure preparedness and rapid response to any developments in the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Departments of Health of provinces
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- Closely coordinate with relevant agencies and units in monitoring COVID cases in the community. Instruct local governments with international checkpoints to implement stringent quarantine measures for visitors from epidemic-affected areas to curb the spread of the disease.
- Direct local health units to monitor and report the daily epidemic situation accurately and promptly to the Provincial Steering Committee and the Ministry of Health.
- Regularly update and review new regulations on COVID prevention and control to advise competent authorities on timely amendments in accordance with the epidemic situation in the province.
- Advise and implement solutions to improve the capacity of the health system for both prevention and treatment, ensuring adequate human resources and benefits for personnel engaged in COVID-19 prevention and control efforts
- Coordinate with relevant departments, agencies and units to prepare mobile forces to promptly reinforce local governments in case the epidemic surpasses local control capacity.
- Direct and organize safe, scientific and effective COVID-19 vaccination in the provinces.
- Advise the People's Committees of provinces to establish procurement mechanisms to ensure adequate supplies of equipment, medication, and medical supplies for COVID-19 prevention and control efforts.
- Continuously implement solutions to improve the capacity of the health system, especially preventive health and grassroots health; take charge and coordinate with relevant departments, agencies, and local governments to review the organizational structure and capacity of the preventive health system, grassroots health care, health care of schools, agencies, and offices; ensure adequate human resources and benefits for personnel engaged in COVID prevention and control efforts.
- Implement regulations and professional guidance (epidemic level assessment, testing, quarantine/isolation, treatment, etc.) according to the direction of the Ministry of Health, appropriate to the local situation.
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- Propagate and guide people to implement COVID prevention and control measures.
- Monitor, urge, and inspect the implementation of detailed plans and scenarios for COVID prevention and control; promptly report any emerging issues to the People's Committee of the province for consideration and resolution.
The plan for ensuring medical preparedness in the event of a new, more dangerous variant or a widespread COVID-19 outbreak exceeding the healthcare system's capacity will be reviewed and adjusted based on evolving epidemic trends and strategies for COVID-19 prevention and control measures in practice. Units and local governments refer to this plan to develop action plans at their units and local governments and proactively adjust measures in accordance with the actual developments of the epidemic and their response capacities. ./.
[1] Statement by the Director General of WHO on March 11, 2020
[2] Statement by the Director General of WHO on May 5, 2020
[3] More than 1.7 million cases, 32,168 deaths (death rate 1.86%) by the end of 2021 and more than 11.5 million cases, 43,186 deaths (0.37%) by the end of 2022; up to now, there have been more than 11.6 million cases and 43,206 deaths (death rate 0.37%).
File gốc của Decision No. 3984/QD-BYT dated October 29, 2023 on issuance of Plan for control and sustainable management of the COVID-19 epidemic for the period of 2023-2025 đang được cập nhật.
Decision No. 3984/QD-BYT dated October 29, 2023 on issuance of Plan for control and sustainable management of the COVID-19 epidemic for the period of 2023-2025
Tóm tắt
| Cơ quan ban hành | Bộ Y tế |
| Số hiệu | 3984/QD-BYT |
| Loại văn bản | Quyết định |
| Người ký | Nguyễn Thị Liên Hương |
| Ngày ban hành | 2023-10-29 |
| Ngày hiệu lực | 2023-10-29 |
| Lĩnh vực | Thể thao - Y tế |
| Tình trạng | Còn hiệu lực |