Press Release

April 26, 2006

U.S. Gives $50,000 Worth of Personal Protective Equipment to Vietnamese Government to Assist Avian Influenza Efforts

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) today presented the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the National Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology, a part of the Ministry of Health, with a donation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) valued at approximately $50,000.

The donation is part of the regional effort by USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) to pre-position PPE units in five Southeast Asian countries. The PPE are intended to prevent human exposure to the Avian Influenza virus and will be used by healthcare workers, laboratory technicians, AI outbreak responders and others involved in the mitigation of AI in Vietnam.  The donation includes goggles, face masks, gloves, coveralls and cleansing wipes.

In Vietnam, USAID-donated PPE will assist the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the National Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology in ongoing surveillance and preventative activities by ensuring that relevant personnel are protected against exposure to the Avian Influenza virus while carrying out their work. Through this donation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and The National Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology Society and its partners will be able to expand upon existing efforts to increase Avian Influenza-related surveillance, prevent the spread of bird flu, and protect those personnel involved in any Avian Influenza response.

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