US, Cần Thơ and An Giang launch effort to prepare for climate change-induced public health threats
The United States Mission to Vietnam, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), have launched an initiative in Cần Thơ and An Giang provinces to build a local framework for them to detect, prevent and respond to climate change-related emerging infectious diseases.
The initiative will work with climate-vulnerable Cần Thơ city and An Giang province in the Mekong Delta. The initiative will pilot provincial-level models that strengthen the climate change-related ‘One Health’ response across the human, animal and environmental health disciplines in consultation with local stakeholders, including businesses and women’s unions. Potential activities include upgrading the primary health infrastructure to support continuity of services during extreme weather events, expanding telehealth options and equipping local authorities and health systems to be better positioned to respond to climate-induced public health threats.