Hanoi: The Ministry of Health's Department of Preventive Medicine on January 16 asked localities nationwide to keep a close watch on the disease situation in the face of complex developments of infectious diseases, especially respiratory ones, around the world.In December 2023, nearly 10,000 deaths from COVID-19 were reported worldwide while the number of hospitalised cases surged 42% from the previous month. New variants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus have continuously changed, and sub-variant JN.1 is spreading rapidly around the globe, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).The US, China, and some European countries have recorded the re-emergence of COVID-19 infections as well as the transmission of other respiratory illnesses like seasonal flu and respiratory syncytial virus.In Vietnam, the northern region is now in the transitional period between winter and spring, when cold and dry weather is alternated with wet weather, triggering infectious diseases, especially respiratory ones. Meanwhil e, the numbers of cases suffering from other infectious diseases like dengue fever, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, and some others which have already had vaccines have also been on the rise in many places, the department pointed out.It warned that the coming Lunar New Year (Tet) holidays and spring festive season, when trading and travel demand surges, along with abnormal weather changes are favourable conditions for diseases to spread, particularly among children with weak immunity and the elderly with comorbidities, who are more vulnerable to infectious diseases.Given this, the Department of Preventive Medicine asked provincial-level departments of health to propose their provinces and cities' administrations soon issue plans on infectious disease prevention and control for 2024. They were also told to engage all local sectors and socio-political organisations in the work, especially during Tet.In particular, local health departments were demanded to order grassroots health units like disease control ce ntres and preventive medicine bodies keep a close watch on the disease situation and the increase in infections of respiratory illnesses and severe cases of viral pneumonia.They need to maintain constant monitoring to detect infections early so as to make timely response, control transmission, and minimise severe cases and deaths, the Department of Preventive Medicine added, requesting the expanded programme on immunisation be properly maintained./.Source: Vietnam News AgencyHanoi: Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen Duc Hai hosted a reception in Hanoi on January 17 for Bernd Lange, Chairman of the European Parliament (EP)'s Committee on International Trade, during which the legislator affirmed that Vietnam always wishes to enhance its partnership and comprehensive cooperation with the European Union (EU).Hai noted with pleasure positive developments in the relations between Vietnam and the EU as well as the Vietnamese legislature and the EP, saying Vietnam is now an important partner of the EU in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia-Pacific.The Vietnamese NA highly values joint efforts in maintaining the substantive and effective inter-parliamentary dialogue channel through delegation exchange, he said.Regarding the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which went into force on August 1, 2020, he said it has helped push the two-way trade, affirming that Vietnam will seriously and fully fulfill its commitments in the deal as well as other international commitments it has made.The legislator held that there will be more ample room for the two sides to boost their trade ties once the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) ratified by all parliaments of EU member countries and put into force.He called on the EP to support strengthening the partnership and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and the EU and its member countries across fields, including inter-parliamentary cooperation, and Vietnam-EU collaboration in green transition, digital transformation, and climate change response.Hai suggested Lange urge the European Commission (EC) to soon remove its 'yellow card' warning against Vietnamese seafood to contribute to ensuring livelihoods for Vietnamese fishermen and supplies to the EU market; and the EU and its members to further back Vietnam's and ASEAN's stance on settling disputes in the East Sea peacefully on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.For his part, Lange said the two sides have held many activities to materialise commitments between the Vietnamese legislature and the EP on the establishment of a regular dialogue mechanism on the EVFTA, stressing it is significant to promoting Vietnam - EU cooperation.Sharing Hai's view on the importance of the trade deal, he said it has given many boosts to the economic and political relations, and affirmed that Vietnam is the EU's important partner in the ASEAN, and that the impressive trade growth reflects their huge potential for development cooperation.For the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, Lange cited the EC's Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries as saying that Vietnam has made great efforts in equipping its fishing boats with the vessel monitoring system, fixing shortcomings in the implementation of EU recommendations, and internalising international treaties.He suggested the two sides maintain their exchange and dialogue mechanisms in an open and constructive manner to forge the partnership and comprehensive cooperation./.Source: Vietnam News Agency