This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Public Health (MoH) Trinh Quan Huan at a conference on the Lower Mekong Initiative to deal with infectious diseases, which was jointly held by the MoH and the US Embassy in Vietnam.

Infectious diseases, especially new unfamiliar ones, can have a devastating impact on people’s lives, said the Deputy Minister, noting that many diseases which have been put under control are likely to break out again.

Epidemics are expected to see a sharp increase in 2010 compared to previous years. There are warnings about a bird flu occurring in Vietnam if the worse comes to the worse. The high risk is posed by the A/H1N1 and A/H5N1 strains while cholera is threatening to spread this summer.

Reports at the conference focused on two major subjects: implementation of international health regulations requiring the exchange of information on infectious diseases in the region; and counterfeit or inferior-quality drugs used for treatment of infectious diseases.

The two-day conference drew medical experts and doctors from Vietnam, the USA, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia.