Reporting at a meeting on disease prevention and control in the city on March 30, Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Health Vu Cao Cuong affirmed that in the first quarter of 2026, the disease situation in the city is basically still under control.
However, some infectious diseases are tending to increase worryingly, especially hand, foot and mouth disease. Since the beginning of the year, the city has recorded 1,320 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease, 2.3 times higher than the same period in 2025. The epidemic has appeared in 126 communes and wards with 24 outbreaks, of which 21 outbreaks have broken out in preschool and kindergarten educational institutions.
In addition, dengue fever has also begun to record early warning signs with 181 cases. Although this number is slightly lower than the same period last year, epidemiological experts believe that the risk of dengue fever outbreaks in 2026 is very high due to the 3-year epidemic cycle (after the major epidemic in 2023) and favorable weather conditions for tick mosquitoes to develop. In addition, the appearance of rabies outbreaks in suburban areas and invasion cases such as macadamia (Mpox) from abroad also put the health system in a high alarming state.
Regarding the developments of the hand, foot and mouth disease epidemic, Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Health Vu Cao Cuong emphasized the role of school health as a "fortune" to prevent the source of infection. The city has implemented general environmental sanitation and disinfection campaigns in more than 100 communes and wards, focusing on preschool classes. The organization of 299 training classes for more than 13,000 school health officials has equipped teachers with early identification skills for cases.
For dengue fever, Hanoi has prepared resources with hundreds of high-capacity chemical sprayers and thousands of liters of mosquito repellent chemicals, Cloramin B stored at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and commune and ward health stations.
In particular, the city requests localities that have not yet approved the project to proactively prevent and control dengue fever to urgently complete it in April to allocate funds and personnel for campaigns to kill larvae and release fish in key areas.
Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee Vu Thu Ha emphasized the requirement to strongly shift the thinking from "anti-epidemic" to "disease prevention" in the spirit of Resolution 72 of the Politburo, with a completely new approach, proactive from early on, from afar. The city has a clear plan and action program, so the Department of Health needs to concretize it with detailed instructions, clarifying the implementation method in 2026, not continuing the passive thinking of waiting for new cases to arise to intervene, or considering ending the outbreak as completing the task.
Faced with the development of the number of hand, foot and mouth disease cases at an alarming level and the risk of dengue fever entering the outbreak season, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Vu Thu Ha requested localities to urgently review, develop and complete epidemic prevention and control plans in a proactive direction, approach early, and allocate sufficient resources and human resources. By April 15 at the latest, the entire implementation plan, including task groups, funds and implementing forces, must be completed. The Department of Health is responsible for thorough guidance, and at the same time strengthen inspection and supervision of the preparation of conditions and organization of implementation at the grassroots level.
In particular, educational institutions need to immediately implement measures to prevent and control hand, foot and mouth disease, and at the same time proactively be ready to respond to dengue fever epidemics. The city also noted the construction, evaluation and replication of pilot models to ensure food safety in boarding school kitchens, especially in the context of the risk of substandard food entering school meals.
This is an urgent and important task, requiring units to focus highly to ensure progress and efficiency" - Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Vu Thu Ha emphasized.
