As of the end of October 2025, the whole province recorded 1,226 measles cases, 4,399 influenza cases, 6,304 diarrhea cases, 582 chickenpox cases... Additionally, there were some cases of streptococcus suis, rabies, pertussis, and viral encephalitis. Faced with that situation, the provincial health sector has promoted communication work, raising people’s awareness in disease prevention and control. Training activities on surveillance, infectious disease case detection, sampling, and infection control at medical facilities are organized regularly from the provincial level to the commune level.

Consulting and guiding agencies, units, enterprises, schools, and people on disinfection, environmental sanitation, and infection prevention measures in the community are also implemented synchronously, contributing to minimizing the risk of disease spread. Preventive medicine and treatment units always coordinate closely, timely detecting cases early, zoning, handling, and suppressing outbreaks quickly and effectively.

Playing a core role in the preventive medicine network, the provincial Center for Disease Control performs well the function of advising and organizing the implementation of professional and technical tasks on preventive medicine in the area. As the focal unit, the center proactively builds plans, guides, and inspects the implementation of disease prevention and control work at grassroots levels, ensuring activities are deployed synchronously and consistently.

According to Đoàn Ngọc Hùng, Director of the provincial Center for Disease Control, to improve the capacity for prevention and control of infectious diseases, the provincial Health sector always pays attention to investing in facilities, equipment, and machinery serving testing and diagnosis. Currently, the testing laboratory of the provincial Center for Disease Control has been invested in relatively completely, capable of accurately testing and diagnosing most specimens for influenza A strains, hand-foot-mouth disease, dengue fever, and measles; at the same time performing quantitative viral techniques such as hepatitis, HPV, HIV, and Covid-19. The center has built a biosafety level II laboratory, contributing to improving professional capacity and ensuring safety for medical staff during work.

Along with controlling infectious diseases, issues of environmental health, school health, maternal and child health care, non-communicable disease control... are also focused on by the provincial Center for Disease Control through network development and surveillance to detect risks. At the same time, coordinating with departments, branches, unions, and socio-political organizations to implement intervention measures and evaluate effectiveness to step by step minimize risks affecting community health and reduce the burden of disease caused by non-communicable diseases.

Current difficulties in preventive medicine work in Điện Biên province are that the preventive medicine network, especially commune-level health, has not fully met the requirements for disease prevention and control; facilities and equipment are still limited. Environmental pollution, the impact of climate change, natural disasters, and catastrophes are becoming increasingly complex. Along with that, Điện Biên province has a diverse disease model, a double burden of disease, and many infectious diseases evolving complexly, while non-communicable diseases are increasing, parallel with the population aging trend, creating great pressure on the health and social security system.

Phạm Giang Nam, Director of the Department of Health, stated: Preventive medicine holds a particularly important position for the general development of the health sector and the work of caring for and protecting the People’s health. When diseases are prevented early, medical examination and treatment facilities will reduce overload pressure, significantly saving resources, human resources, and costs. At the same time, through data from epidemiological surveillance, vaccination, quarantine, and environmental sanitation, the State has a scientific basis to build and adjust suitable and more effective health policies and strategies.

In the coming time, the provincial health sector will focus on synchronously deploying tasks and solutions according to the guidelines and orientations of the Politburo on strengthening preventive medicine and grassroots health. Focusing on developing human resources, mobilizing resources to invest in facilities and medical equipment, ensuring professional requirements are met in the new situation. Along with the involvement of all levels and sectors, the consensus and active participation of the community play a key role. When every citizen raises awareness of disease prevention, proactively gets vaccinated, maintains environmental sanitation, and practices a healthy lifestyle, the preventive medicine “shield” will become increasingly solid, contributing to building a healthy community and sustainable development.