Vietnam is moving towards eliminating malaria by 2030

23/01/2020 10:25 AM


According to Vietnam's National Malaria Control Program, our country has gradually implemented appropriate strategies to reduce malaria morbidity and mortality rate.

Malaria is one of the common infectious diseases in tropical and subtropical countries, having serious impacts on human health. According to a report of the World Health Organization (WHO), malaria is currently circulating in 91 countries and territories with over 3 billion people living in malaria-endemic areas. In Vietnam, there are about 12 million people living in malaria-endemic areas. Malaria sufferers are mainly poor people and ethnic minorities living in difficult economic areas, remote areas and border areas.

To reduce malaria incidence and mortality, Vietnam's National Malaria Control Program has implemented many appropriate strategies. As a result, more than 1 million cases of malaria, 4,646 deaths from malaria in 1991, and 6,870 cases of malaria cases in 2018 and only 1 case of malaria. Many provinces and cities have no longer spread malaria. In 2019, Vietnam continues to recognize malaria elimination in 25 provinces including 16 northern provinces, 1 central province and 8 southern provinces.

However, the prevention and elimination of malaria still faces many difficulties. There are still epidemics in some localities; when suffering from malaria, people do not go to health stations for medical treatment for timely treatment; staff working in malaria prevention and control at the grassroots level have not met the requirements, leading to many difficulties and challenges in the malaria prevention and control at the grassroots level.

Assoc.Prof.Dr. Mr. Tran Thanh Duong - Director of the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology said that the Government of Vietnam has committed to implementing the goal of eliminating malaria caused by P.falciparum malaria parasite by 2025 and eliminate malaria completely by 2030. Currently, Vietnam is moving towards eliminating malaria in each province according to a roadmap approved by the Ministry of Health. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the people's awareness of disease prevention.

Along with strengthening, monitoring, detection, diagnosis and timely treatment for malaria patients; localities promoted propaganda and awareness raising on malaria prevention and control measures, especially for people who regularly go to forests. To organize the investigation of cases strictly according to regulations, zoning places with malaria parasites to thoroughly treat the source of the disease; supply enough malaria drugs in quantity, types and reagents to medical facilities./.

VSS