Mr. Do Duc Duy received the delegation.

The officials included WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Takeshi Kasai, WHO Representative in Vietnam Kidong Park and Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan.

Kasai said he was impressed by the performance of the local health facility, and pandemic prevention and control, including the COVID-19 vaccination, of the commune and district.

Expressing his belief that Van Yen district and Yen Bai province will effectively response to COVID-19 in a safe and flexible manner in the long term, he affirmed that WHO will assist and accompany the provincial health sector in related information and experience exchange.

On January 13, the delegation paid a courtesy call to provincial leaders and visited a number of health facilities.

Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Do Duc Duy and Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Tran Huy Tuan expressed their wish that WHO will continue coordinating with universities, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, and relevant agencies to support Yen Bai in primary health care training for health workers, including those working at schools.
They also hoped for WHO’s provision of financial and technical support for Yen Bai to build a number of health improvement models at semi-boarding and boarding schools in upland districts and ethnic minority-populated areas.

According to the provincial leaders, by the end of 2021, Yen Bai had 140 communes, or 80.9 percent of the total, meeting the national health standards, 100 percent of local students received health checkups at the outset of the academic year, and 70 percent of local schools had an adequately equipped medical office.

Saying Yen Bai is on the right path in COVID-19 prevention and control, Kasai affirmed that WHO will further support and share information and experience with Vietnam and Yen Bai regarding their responses to the pandemic.

As part of the trip, the delegation visited Dai Son primary and secondary school; and observed activities of home vaccination against COVID-19 for the elderly and illnesses who cannot go to medical facilities in the commune’s Da Dung village.They also visited the provincial Lung Hospital, General Hospital, and the Center for Disease Control.