Vietnam health agencies launch vitamin A campaign, seize unsafe food, and monitor Ebola amid heatwave

Vietnam's health authorities announced a nationwide high‑dose vitamin A supplementation program for children aged 6 to under 60 months, starting in June 2026. In a recent food‑safety sweep, more than 62,000 food production and sales sites were inspected, uncovering over 5,700 violations, levying fines totalling nearly 22.5 billion VND, confiscating tens of tonnes of undocumented food and forwarding 17 cases to investigators. The Ministry of Health also warned that the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola remains complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, urging stricter monitoring of incoming travellers. Concurrently, officials highlighted a rise in hand‑foot‑mouth disease among children and stressed ongoing micronutrient deficiencies—particularly vitamin A, iron and zinc—in rural and mountainous areas. In response to an early‑season heatwave linked to El Niño, guidance was issued to protect public health against extreme heat, drought and salt‑water intrusion. The country also recorded a record‑size organ‑transplant effort, with 21 multi‑organ transplants performed in one week at the Viet Duc Hospital.