The National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology (NIMPE) reported that over the past 30 years, the National Program on Malaria Prevention and Control has reaped remarkable achievements.

In 1991, malaria broke out throughout the country with more than 1 million infections, killing 4,646 people.

Viet Nam doubles efforts to terminate malaria by 2030. Photo: G1

In 2022, the number of malaria patients was only 455, including one death, and no malaria epidemic broke out.

So far, 42 provinces and cities have been recognized to be free from malaria.

However, the disease, which is mostly spread through mosquitoes, has still developed complicatedly in many localities, threatening more than 6.8 million people. 

Major reasons behind the situation include drug-resistant malaria virus; population mobility, chemical resistant mosquitoes, and modest resources for malaria prevention, control and elimination.

Meanwhile, data from the Ministry of Health showed the country reported 360,000 dengue fever cases, including 100 deaths, in 2022.

NIMPE conducted monitoring over mosquitoes that transmit dengue fever at 57 areas in 12 provinces and discovered the changes in behaviors of the mosquitoes as well as their chemical resistance.

The ministry suggested that relevant professional guidance should be reviewed, adjusted and supplemented to be carried out comprehensively across the country, along with the evaluation of the progress of the national strategy against malaria until 2020 with a vision to 2030.

*** Malaria is a life-threatening disease spread to humans by some types of mosquitoes. It is mostly found in tropical countries. It is preventable and curable.

The infection is caused by a parasite and does not spread from person to person.

Symptoms can be mild or life-threatening. Mild symptoms are fever, chills and headache. Severe symptoms include fatigue, confusion, seizures, and difficulty breathing.

Infants, children under 5 years, pregnant women, travellers and people with HIV or AIDS are at higher risk of severe infection. 

Malaria can be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites and with medicines. Treatments can stop mild cases from getting worse.

Malaria mostly spreads to people through the bites of some infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Blood transfusion and contaminated needles may also transmit malaria. The first symptoms may be mild, similar to many febrile illnesses, and difficulty to recognize as malaria. Left untreated, P. falciparum malaria can progress to severe illness and death within 24 hours.

There are 5 Plasmodium parasite species that cause malaria in humans and 2 of these species – P. falciparum and P. vivax – pose the greatest threat. P. falciparum is the deadliest malaria parasite and the most prevalent on the African continent. P. vivax is the dominant malaria parasite in most countries outside of sub-Saharan Africa. The other malaria species which can infect humans are P. malariae, P. ovale and P. knowlesi.

Symptoms
The most common early symptoms of malaria are fever, headache and chills.

Symptoms usually start within 10–15 days of getting bitten by an infected mosquito.

Symptoms may be mild for some people, especially for those who have had a malaria infection before. Because some malaria symptoms are not specific, getting tested early is important. 

Some types of malaria can cause severe illness and death. Infants, children under 5 years, pregnant women, travellers and people with HIV or AIDS are at higher risk. Severe symptoms include:

extreme tiredness and fatigue 
impaired consciousness
multiple convulsions
difficulty breathing
dark or bloody urine
jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin) 
abnormal bleeding.
People with severe symptoms should get emergency care right away. Getting treatment early for mild malaria can stop the infection from becoming severe. 

Malaria infection during pregnancy can also cause premature delivery or delivery of a baby with low birth weight.
WHO response
The WHO Global technical strategy for malaria 2016–2030, updated in 2021, provides a technical framework for all malaria-endemic countries. It is intended to guide and support regional and country programmes as they work towards malaria control and elimination.

The strategy sets ambitious but achievable global targets, including:

reducing malaria case incidence by at least 90% by 2030
reducing malaria mortality rates by at least 90% by 2030
eliminating malaria in at least 35 countries by 2030
preventing a resurgence of malaria in all countries that are malaria-free.
Guided by this strategy, the Global Malaria Programme coordinates the WHO’s global efforts to control and eliminate malaria by:

playing a leadership role in malaria, effectively supporting member states and rallying partners to reach Universal Health Coverage and achieve goals and targets of the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria;
shaping the research agenda and promoting the generation of evidence to support global guidance for new tools and strategies to achieve impact;
developing ethical and evidence based global guidance on malaria with effective dissemination to support adoption and implementation by national malaria programmes and other relevant stakeholders; and
monitoring and responding to global malaria trends and threats.