HÀ NỘI — Minister of Health Nguyễn Thị Kim Tiến and Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Robert Redfield on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on co-operation in infection prevention, antibiotic resistance and infection surveillance.

The MoU signed in a meeting in Hà Nội is intended to strengthen infection prevention programmes by conducting risk assessments, developing policies and guidelines and monitoring and evaluating relevant programmes.

It also aims to improve testing capacity to detect antibiotic-resistant pathogens. The programme will leverage training, consultations on the exchange of isolated strains of bacteria and sharing information on scientific advances in microbiological testing techniques.

The two sides will exchange personnel and materials for training programmes; organise meetings, conferences and workshops related to infections and drug resistance control; and expand the national supervision system on antibiotic resistance and infections.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister Tiến highlighted the close co-operation between the health sectors of the two countries, saying the two sides have given priority to preventive health care, workforce training and preventing drug resistance.

She thanked the US Government, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the CDC, and said she highly valued the co-operation of officials from the CDC office in Việt Nam with the Vietnamese health sector.

The Minister expressed her hope that the two sides will continue to co-operate in preventing HIV/AIDS and drug resistance, as well as in preventive health, medical personnel training and other activities in the framework of the MoU signed between the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and HHS in 2017.

Redfield expressed his joy at the achievements made by Việt Nam’s health sector, especially in preventing and controlling HIV/AIDS.

Việt Nam became the 15th country to receive the US government’s assistance in the fight against HIV/AIDS through PEPFAR in 2004.

He said he appreciated Việt Nam’s policy on expanding health insurance coverage to those living with HIV/AIDS and was impressed by the Health Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) in Việt Nam.

He hoped to enhance co-operation in preventing avian flu, stressing that information provided by the Vietnamese side was very useful for research and the production of vaccines across the globe.

During his stay in Việt Nam, Redfield visited the Bình Chánh health centre, Chợ Rẫy Hospital, Nhi Đồng 1 Hospital in HCM City, the EOC and the Hà Nội medical University. — VNS