The event was attended by Nguyen Thuc Hien, Vice Chairman of Can Tho City People’s Committee, Aler Grubbs, USAID/Vietnam Mission Director, and Ramla Khalidi, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam.
Speaking at the event, Aler Grubbs, USAID/Vietnam Mission Director shared that USAID and Vietnam are building on nearly 20 years of One Health partnership with a new focus on climate change.
“Today, we are pleased to announce USAID’s One Health project in Vietnam focused on the connection between climate change and disease threats," he said. "We are launching in Can Tho city and An Giang province. Together, we will safeguard public health and support a strong, prosperous, independent, and resilient Vietnam.”
The initiative will work with climate-vulnerable Can Tho city and An Giang province in the Mekong Delta. In consultation with local stakeholders, including businesses and women’s unions, the initiative will pilot provincial-level models that strengthen the climate change-related “One Health” response across the human, animal, and environmental health disciplines. Potential activities include upgrading primary health infrastructure to support continuity of services during extreme weather events, expanding telehealth options, and equipping local authorities and health systems to be better positioned to respond to climate-induced public health threats.
“Intensifying drought, saltwater intrusion and tropical storms in the Mekong Delta can drive outbreaks of dengue and other vector-borne diseases, as well as infectious disease spillovers from animals to humans. The project will support authorities, communities and other partners in Can Tho and An Giang to detect, prevent, and respond to climate change-related public health threats, recognizing that human health is closely connected to the health of animals and the environment,” said Ramla Khalidi, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam, during remarks delivered at the event.
