To strengthen the prevention and control of dengue fever in Vietnam

To strengthen the prevention and control of dengue fever in Vietnam (Internet image) 

The Ministry of Health of Vietnam issued Official Dispatch 1576/CD-BYT in 2022 on strengthening the prevention and control of dengue fever.

To strengthen the prevention and control of dengue fever in Vietnam

Due to the cyclical dengue epidemic, the current weather conditions are favorable for the development of larvae and disease-transmitting mosquitoes; the rapid urbanization and increased exchange and travel of people after the COVID-19 epidemic; and people's awareness of proactively preventing epidemics is not high, so through inspection and supervision, many nests of larvae and eggs are still detected in households and residential areas.

The situation with dengue fever in Vietnam is expected to become more complicated and widespread in the coming years. The Ministry of Health of Vietnam proposed that the Chairman of the People's Committees of provinces and cities pay attention to directing the following contents in order to strengthen epidemic prevention and control and resolutely not let the epidemic outbreak, spread, and prolong:

- Assign specific responsibilities to authorities at all levels with the task of directing and mobilizing socio-political departments, branches, and organizations to coordinate with the health sector to immediately deploy the campaign to kill larvae; ensure that all households in the epidemic and at-risk areas must be inspected and monitored for tanks, water containers, items, waste, and breeding places for mosquitoes to carry out forms of extermination of larva.

- The health sector closely monitors the local dengue outbreak. Organize the chemical spraying of 100% of households in contaminated areas. Make sure to spray chemicals with the correct technique and evaluate the vector index before and after spraying to have a specific spray indication. Identify high-risk areas to organize active spraying of insecticides.

- Directing the Department of Information and Communications and mass media agencies to work with the Department of Health of Vietnam to improve communication about dengue epidemic prevention and control so that people can voluntarily take preventive measures for themselves and their communities, such as actively participating in the collection of waste items that cause water stagnation, where larvae and mosquitoes grow, closing the lid and releasing fish into the tank, and using domestic water.

- Directing medical examination and treatment facilities to organize well the collection and treatment of patients, to train in the diagnosis and treatment of dengue fever, to update and closely monitor groups of high-risk patients (the elderly, young children, pregnant women, and chronic background patients), to be ready and fully stocked with supplies, equipment, and drugs to minimize the number of dengue fever deaths; at the same time, review and adjust

- Direct the Department of Finance of Vietnam to submit to the People's Committees of provinces and cities for additional funding for dengue fever prevention and control based on the epidemic situation; guide the expenditure contents and expenditure levels according to regulations for the implementation of dengue fever prevention and control activities.

- Organize delegations to inspect and supervise dengue fever prevention and control in hotspots and areas at risk of epidemic outbreaks, as well as to assist lower-level dengue epidemic prevention and control.

Details can be found in Official Dispatch 1576/CD-BYT dated November 24, 2022.

Diem My

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