The IMPE-Quy Nhon offered notice warning of possible outbreaks in the last half of 2009 and updated malaria situation monthly together with malaria control activities of the region on the Institute's website.
Malaria situation in Central Vietnam in August 2009 against the same period of 2008
According to the statistics of August 2009, malaria situation in Central Vietnam tended to increase against the same period of last year.
Malaria patients
In August 2009, malaria cases of the whole region increased by 26.59% (3,323/1,835),
9/15 provinces with increased malaria morbidity included Gia Lai (163.78%), Phu Yen (139.47%), Binh Thuan (138.71%), Binh Dinh (93.33%), Dak Lak (36.55%), Quang Nam (26.40%), Kon Tum (21.71%), Khanh Hoa (21.32%) and Quang Tri (2.40%).
6/15 provinces with decreased malaria morbidity included Quang Ngai (43.33%), Da Nang (-33.33%), Ninh Thuan (-21.91%), Dak Nong (-17.28%), Quang Binh (-9.35%) and Thua Thien-Hue (-4.08%).
Malaria Parasites
Malaria parasites in the whole region, as compared with the same period of 2008, increased 64.34% (1.21/074), with the Central Coastal area 29.97% higher, and the West Highlands 172.35% up.
10 out of 15 provinces with increased rates of malaria parasites included Phu Yen (274.09%), Binh Thuan (271.70%), Khanh Hoa (213.19%), Gia Lai (174.34%), Dak Lak (170.61%), Kon Tum (125.08%), Binh Dinh (123.66%), dak Nong (38.45%), Quang Nam (37.70%) and Quang Tri (35.51%).
5 out of 15 provinces with decreased rates of malaria parasites included Da Nang (-48.92%), Quang Binh (-43.58%), Quang Ngai (-34.50%), Ninh Thuan (-24.06%) and Thua Thien-Hue (-15.43%).
Severe and complicated malaria
In August, 2009, the whole region had 10 malaria deaths reported, 6 cases more than those of the same period of 2008 (10/6), of which the Central Coastal area had 9 cases (+ 5 cases) and the West Highlands 1 case.
The provinces with higher severe malaria cases included Phu Yen (5/1), Ninh Thuan (3/1), Quang Binh (1/0) and Dak Lak (1/0).
Malaria deaths
In August, 2009, the whole region had 1 death from malaria in Phu Yen province, 1 cases higher than the same period of 2008.
Evaluation of malaria situation of the area
For five successive months, the morbidity rate of the whole region increased against the same period of last year, which is coincided with the predictions by the IMPE-QN and the Department of Preventive Medicine and Environment (MoH). It should be noted that in provinces with increased malaria indexes, there increased numbers of malaria morbidity and parasite rates, with the latter being higher. In some provinces, although the malaria patients tended to reduce, the positive cases appeared high like Dak Nong. Attention should be paid to those areas with the appearance of malaria main vectors (i.e An.minimus and An.dirus), for the the risks of malaria transmission could be at high. Therefore, the malaria situation in Central region shows unstable, sheltering high risks of outbreaks in the remaining months of 2009.
High malaria morbidity rates were mainly due to imported cases crossing the borders, such as the Vietnamese-Laotian border. Some cases in Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Quang Nam, Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Binh Thuan were reported by working in the forests, sleeping in the field huts, and upon returning from forests they were infected with malaria. Other reasons went to the restructure of the adminstrative units, leading to the disablement of the communal health network such as the reported malaria outbreak in the newly-separated commune of Son Lien, Son Tay district, Quang Ngai province.
Although malaria situation tended to increase compared with that of last year, it was not out of control of localities, which actively conducted intensively control measures (eg. residual insecticidal spraying, additional bednet impregnation, and management of malaria patients) together with malaria epidemiological surveillance in severely-hit areas for timely detection and control.
The period of September-December falls into rainy season, meaning higher malaria transmission. Therefore, all provinces need to enhance the quality of malaria control, strengthen the epidemiological surveillance to prevent the outbreaks from occurring and widespreading boisterously in the region.