According to the statistics of malaria situation of Central Vietnam in the first half of 2010 compared with the same period of 2009, malaria patients increased by 13.16%, with the Central Coastal area 18.76% higher and the West Highlands 5.43%; malaria parasite rates raised by 56.42%, including the Central Coastal area 65.17% higher and the West Highlands 48.29% up; there were two deaths from malaria (one in Khanh Hoa and one in Binh Thuan) with high risk of malaria outbreaks. Particularly, early from this year, malaria situation in Quang Nam province increased continuously in malaria patient (MP) and malaria parasite rate (MPR), mostly in the communes of mountainous districts or with low educational and economic levels.
Malaria situation in Quang Nam province
It can be seen from the chart of development of malaria situation between months of 2009 and 2010, MP and MPR increased continuously over months, especially in July 2010 MP raised drastically by 675% against the same period of 2009 (775/117), but no deaths from malaria. The increase of malaria indexes was mainly in the mountainous areas like Nam Tra My district or in the gold-fields of Phuoc Thanh and Phuoc Loc communes (Phuoc Son district) with very high risk of outbreaks on large scale. The malaria situation in the communes of Tay Giang, Dong Giang and Nam Giang has been stable.
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Chart of development of malaria situation between months of 2009 and 2010. |
Malaria situation in Nam Tra My district
Nam Tra My district reported a constant raise of MP and MPR from early this year until now, especially in July 2010 MP increased by 540% against the same period of 2009, mainly in the communes of Tra Tap, Tra Leng, Van Tra, Tra Don. It is forecasted that in the height months of malaria transmission season, malaria situation will still develop complicatedly and malaria outbreak is very likely to happen.
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Political map of Quang Nam province. |
To control malaria situation, the Provincial Malaria Control Centre and the District Health Center have strengthened the activities such as malaria surveillance of 157 times; early insecticide spraying for the communes of Tra Don, Tra Leng and Tra Tap to protect 7293 inhabitants; thorough treatment of cases infected with malaria parasite in accordance with MoH's regimen; extended treatment with highly efficient drugs like CV-artecan and primaquin; sufficient provision of antimalarial medicines for health facilities of all levels.
Active malaria control measures in Quang Nam province in late 2010
In the coming time, the Provincial Malaria Control Center should concentratively direct the malaria control activities; for examples, protection for at-risk subjects (people going to and sleeping in the forests, children, pregnant women, etc.), early detection and timely treatment of malaria patients right at the grassroots level of communes and villages, residual insecticide spraying and additional bed-net impregnation for risk areas, epidemiological surveillance at hotspots and in areas with lots of malaria cases, collection and analysis of malaria information so as to predict the situation early and direct the implementation of malaria control measures timely. It is necessary for the province to regularly report on malaria development in severely-hit areas, including epidemiological surveillance data implemented by the province to the IMPE Quy Nhon in order to help the Institute direct and support promptly.