On April 22nd, 2010, the launching ceremony on propagating "World Malaria Day 25 April" of the Central Vietnam was held in Thua Thien-Hue province. Participating the launching ceremony, Dr. Tran Cong Dai, expert of WHO in Vietnam warned the risk of malaria return in 2010 and also emphasized that "World Malaria Day 25 April" was the starting point for rolling back malaria campaign.
In past hundreds of years, malaria affected the social and economic situation in the world. More than a half of world population were in areas at high risk of malaria, especially in some countries which had low income such as Africa. Although we have had suitable malaria control measures, malaria is still a great burden of the countries.
In May 2007, the 60th World Health Assembly established World Malaria Day on 25 April every year to recognize malaria control efforts and help malaria control activites be carried out effectively. 25 April every year is the occasion that the affected countries will share experience and help each other in malaria control activities; is the opportunity that the institutes strengthen scientific research to give effective malaria control measures.
With the launch on World Malaria Day 25 April of WHO, this third World Malaria Day was hold in Vietnam as well as other countries to strengthen malaria control measures and eliminate malaria. Besides, the countries need to collect data of levels from communes, districts, provinces, nations, areas and world. We also need to monitor closely obstacles and difficulties in malaria control activities to give suitable and effective solutions.
According to the report of 2009 on world malaria situation in 2008, there were about 243 million of malaria morbidity and 863 000 malaria deaths (every 2 minutes, there were about 900 people of malaria morbidity and 3 malaria deaths)
In Vietnam, compare the result of malaria control of 2009 with of 2000, rate of malaria morbidity decreased by 80% and death from malaria reduced by 83%. However, rate of death of 2009 increased by 44% compared with that of 2005; especially rate of malaria parasites of 2009increased by 42% against that of 2008. Therefore, health centres need to strengthen more intergrated measures in malaria control activities.
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Dr. Tran Cong Dai -expert of WHO in Vietnam at the launching ceremony. |
Moreover, Vietnam is facing a great deal of challenges in applying malaria control activities for mobilised. These people frequently crossed areas from malaria-free to malaria-endemic zones, the borders where the crossing was very difficult for the medical staff to control. Many people went to work in the forests and spent the night in the field-huts without sleeping under a bednet.
Upon getting malaria, they often committed self-treament at their house, not going to local health facilities for treatment. Consequently, it is difficult for health centers to manage these groups because they often go to places out of their control.
Images from the launching ceremony on propagating "World Malaria Day 25 April"
in Thua Thien-Hue province. |
Because malaria situation tended to increase complicatedly, the health centres need to strengthen malaria control measures and maintain investment fund for malaria control programme; ensure malaria control and treatment effectively for malaria-endemic areas, especially in difficult areas. We hope that this meeting to celebrate World Malaria Day will be a strong motivation for malaria control in 2010 and also believe that Vietnam will roll back gradually and continue toward eliminating malaria.
On this occasion, we wish you all good health and great success for further achievements of National Malaria Control in Viet Nam.