German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) has spoken highly of Vietnam’s achievements in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo: VNA)

Analyzing anti-pandemic models between developed and developing countries, the article on Tuesday said Vietnam has acted as a positive role model for controlling and preventing the novel virus.

Creativeness and effective preventive measures, not wealth or higher education ground, play the decisive role in the battle against the coronavirus outbreak, it said, highlighting while the number of COVID-19 cases are increasing in most of the European countries, Vietnam, Mongolia and Thailand virtually wipe out the virus. The pooled testing initiative really works for countries which have small capacity in testing, it said.

Germany, which has announced nearly 10,000 deaths associated with COVID-19 should learn experience from Vietnam – a country with a population of some 100 million people that has seen only 35 fatalities.

In another writing, the FAZ underscored border closure and social distancing measures have helped Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore successfully control the pandemic.
However, the measures also have adverse impact on the regional economy. This is the first time in decades, the poverty rate in the region increased significantly, and the World Banks forecast 38 million people in East Asia could fall into poverty this year.