The Ministry of Health to require strengthening the prevention, control, and elimination of malaria in Vietnam

The Ministry of Health to require strengthening the prevention, control, and elimination of malaria in Vietnam (Internet image)

Regarding this issue, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

On October 9, 2023, the Ministry of Health issued Official Dispatch 6475/BYT-DP on strengthening the prevention, control and elimination of malaria.

The Ministry of Health to require strengthening the prevention, control, and elimination of malaria in Vietnam

To continue proactive measures to prevent, combat, and control malaria throughout the country, especially in areas where malaria is highly endemic and the number of cases is increasing, and ensure early detection, timely and comprehensive management, and treatment of malaria cases, minimizing deaths; the Ministry of Health requires the implementation of the following contents:

- Continue to direct and drastically implement the work of preventing, combating, and eliminating malaria in the province and city; review and supplement the plan to prevent, control, and eliminate malaria in 2023 and the plan to prevent, control, and eliminate malaria in the next period, especially the assessment of results and progress in eliminating malaria in localities where malaria is still endemic; sustainably maintain achievements in eliminating malaria in localities that have announced they have met malaria elimination criteria.

- Assign responsibility to the People's Committees of districts, towns, cities, and related units to direct inter-sectoral coordination to strongly deploy prevention and control measures to address the malaria situation in hot spots; Request districts, towns, and cities to sign a commitment to implement their local malaria elimination goals to achieve malaria elimination in Vietnam by 2030.

- Review and consolidate microscope sites; train and improve the monitoring and testing skills of medical facilities.

- Strengthen surveillance to promptly detect cases of malaria using microscopy or rapid diagnostic tests, limiting missed patients.

- Organize zoning to promptly and completely handle disease sources and limit spread to the community.

- Thoroughly treat malaria outbreaks and prevent malaria-transmitting mosquitoes according to proper procedures.

- Training to improve malaria diagnosis and treatment capacity for medical examination and treatment facilities. Direct medical examination and treatment facilities to comply with instructions on diagnosis and treatment of malaria issued with Decision 3377/QD-BYT in 2023, ensuring the correct use of medication and adequate dosage for each patient according to each parasite species, especially P.vivax or P.falciparum, to minimize malignant malaria, death due to malaria, and antimalarial drug resistance.

- Review the actual coverage of the distribution of chemical-treated mosquito nets and hammocks and the actual bed-net sleeping rate of each household in the malaria risk group to have measures and plans to provide additional supplies and deploy impregnated mosquito nets, hammocks, and mosquito nets in malaria prevention and control.

- Consolidate and promote the effective operation of the health system, especially commune, village, and village health care; strengthen effective coordination between the government and departments and branches in malaria prevention.

- Arrange human resources to ensure that requirements for malaria prevention activities are met; arrange full funding for professional activities in the regular tasks of the local budget, including funding for purchasing malaria drugs, residual spraying chemicals, impregnating bed nets, supplies, and chemicals for malaria testing; and organize procurement to serve the prevention, control, and elimination of malaria.

- Direct medical facilities to always ensure adequate demand for chemicals, biological products, drugs, and equipment for malaria prevention and control in the area.

More details can be found in Official Dispatch 6475/BYT-DP, dated October 9, 2023.

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