While Hanoi continues to keep measles under control, there is a high risk of outbreak for some other diseases, including hand, foot and mouth disease and dengue fever.

A measles patient

So far this year, Vietnam has had 135 reported measles-related fatalities, of which Hanoi accounted for around 30%.

According to Nguyen Nhat Cam, Director of the Hanoi Preventive Medicine Centre, despite a fall in the number of measles patients, Hanoi has a high risk of outbreaks of hand, foot and mouth disease and dengue fever.

As of May 5, Hanoi has seen 37 cases of dengue fever in half of the city's districts. In the context of the city’s lack of clean water and underground construction works and water storage, dengue fever has high possibility of developing into an epidemic.