Preventing epidemics after floods: Responsibility of the whole community

On June 20, 21 and 22, heavy rains occurred in Thai Nguyen province, causing localized flooding in many localities, affecting more than 4,000 households with a total flooded area of ​​about 153,000 m2. Although the damage was not too severe thanks to the proactiveness of authorities at all levels and people, the risk of disease is still latent if environmental sanitation and disinfection are not carried out seriously and synchronously.

Staff of Thai Nguyen City Medical Center spray disinfectant at Phu Thai market area, Tan Thinh ward, Thai Nguyen city.

Proactive epidemic prevention, synchronous solutions

Since late May and early June 2025, learning from the experience of storm No. 3 in 2024, the Thai Nguyen Health sector has issued many directive documents, requiring units and localities to develop plans to respond to natural disasters and floods; prepare a stock of medicines, chemicals, and medical supplies according to the 4-on-the-spot motto: on-site command, on-site forces, on-site supplies, and on-site logistics.

Thanks to that, after the floods occurred in recent days, units have synchronously deployed response solutions, limiting damage and disease risks.

Accordingly, when the water began to recede, local authorities, people and the health sector quickly carried out general cleaning, disinfection, environmental treatment, domestic water treatment, waste collection and animal carcasses to prevent disease.

In Thai Nguyen City, the City Medical Center has dispatched 3 mobile teams, with 10 officers and 9 Cloramin B sprayers to support chemical spraying at public places and deeply flooded residential areas in wards and communes: Quang Vinh, Tan Thinh, Tan Cuong, Cao Ngan... The previous medical stations have also been received, so they have organized the distribution of Cloramin B, Aquatabs, and alum for people to treat their own environment and domestic water sources.

Dr. Hoang Anh, Director of the Provincial Center for Disease Control, said: With the experience of 2024, the units have been much more proactive. Currently, more than 3 tons of Cloramin B chemicals are stored at the Center and the units are ready to serve the disinfection and epidemic prevention work.

According to Dr. Luu Van Thuyen, Head of the Department of Disease Control, Thai Nguyen City Medical Center: After the flood, the environment is seriously polluted by microorganisms, garbage and waste flowing with the water. This is a favorable condition for bacteria, viruses and disease vectors to develop, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks such as acute diarrhea, respiratory diseases, pink eye, skin diseases and dengue fever. Therefore, the Center has been spraying disinfectant chemicals in some key areas.

People took the opportunity to clean up their houses and public areas after the flood waters receded.

Thanks to the proactiveness of the authorities and the awareness of the people, up to now, many heavily flooded areas have basically completed cleaning and disinfection, creating a safe environment and limiting the risk of disease.

Ms. Le Thi Loan, a trader at Quang Vinh market, said: After the water receded, we were supported by medical staff to spray chemicals, so we felt more secure. However, households and traders will still have to continue cleaning to prevent disease for their families and the community.

Promote the 4 on-site motto

Although the response work has achieved initial results, this is only the beginning of the rainy and stormy season. According to forecasts, this year's weather will continue to be complicated and unpredictable; the risk of natural disasters and epidemics remains very high. Especially when the district-level government apparatus is about to disappear, leaving only two levels: province and commune, implementing the 4 on-site motto becomes even more necessary.

Dr. Hoang Anh emphasized: We cannot rely entirely on the health sector or remote support forces. Success in disease prevention after floods depends on the awareness and initiative of each locality and each person in cleaning the environment, treating domestic water and implementing disease prevention measures.

Authorities support people in the heavily flooded area of ​​Quang Vinh ward (Thai Nguyen city) by spraying disinfectant in the barn area.

The health sector will continue to coordinate with localities to strengthen monitoring, early detection and thorough handling of outbreaks as soon as they appear. In addition, health units will provide technical guidance, chemical support and materials so that communes and wards can proactively prevent epidemics on the spot.

In fact, if environmental sanitation, water treatment, waste collection, and animal carcasses are not carried out seriously, the risk of disease outbreaks after floods will be very high. Acute diarrhea, respiratory diseases, pink eye, skin diseases, and dengue fever can break out, seriously affecting public health.

People need to maintain the habit of eating cooked food, drinking boiled water, using safely treated water sources, sleeping under mosquito nets, killing mosquitoes, eliminating mosquito larvae and proactively going to medical facilities when there are signs of illness.

It can be said that only when the 4 on-site motto is seriously implemented and the synchronous coordination between functional sectors and the community is promoted, can Thai Nguyen firmly protect the achievements in natural disaster and disease prevention during the flood season of 2025 and the following years.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/y-te/202506/ngan-dich-benh-sau-mua-lu-trach-nhiem-cua-ca-cong-dong-2b21e13/