PM issues directions on stemming dengue fever outbreak
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has given a number of directions to authorities and relevant agencies, requesting them to stem the outbreak of dengue fever, which is on the rise in 50 localities.
Spraying chemicals to eradicate mosquito and larva. Photo: VNA
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has given a number of directions to authorities and relevant agencies, requesting them to stem the outbreak of dengue fever, which is on the rise in 50 cities and provinces across the country, especially in the southern region.
Mosquito-borne dengue fever has infected more than 29,000 people since the beginning of this year, causing 18 fatalities.
In the PM’s recent urgent notice, municipal and provincial authorities were asked to launch public campaigns to eradicate mosquito and larva with chemical sprays, especially in construction sites and residential areas lacking clean water.
Local Departments of Health must closely monitor the situation and provide prompt treatment.
The Health Ministry is responsible for dealing with outbreak hotbeds and devising preventive measures while getting all necessary equipment ready, and the Finance Ministry is to ensure sufficient funding for prevention and combat efforts.
Head of the Health Ministry’s Preventive Medicine Department Tran Dac Phu told the Vietnam News Agency in a recent interview that the public health sector has launched responses to the outbreak, including establishing inspection groups in high risk areas, providing necessary equipment, opening training courses for medical staff and destroying mosquito larva in localities.
In northern Vietnam , dengue fever is prevalent in hot months from April to November, while the central and southern regions are prone to the disease all the year round due to hot weather, but outbreaks usually peak in the period from July to October every year.
According to the World Health Organisation, around 100 million people are infected with the fever each year, mostly children below 15. The disease is circulating in more than 100 tropical countries worldwide with about 3.5 billion living in high-risk areas.
The disease is contracted through bites from dengue-infected mosquitoes, causing headaches, fever, exhaustion, severe muscle and joint pain, swollen glands, vomiting and rashes, mostly among children. There is no medication to treat the disease, only to ease the symptoms.-VNA
The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has asked the city’s departments and localities to intensify efforts to prevent dengue, which is developing complicatedly in the city and the southern region.
The Ministry of Health will set up five inspection teams to monitor dengue fever conditions throughout the country because of the complicated situation caused by dengue outbreaks.
The Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City on August 28 held a conference on reviewing and sharing experiences in dengue fever prevention in the southern region.
Vietnamese people spend a total of 1.4-1.6 trillion VND (62.2-71.1 million USD) each year on treatment of dengue fever, a recent survey conducted by the Ministry of Health has revealed.
Around 1,537 cases of dengue fever have been recorded in Hanoi from early this year to September 6, more than three times the figure from the same period last year.
Vietnam now boasts a nationwide healthcare network with 1,665 hospitals, 384 of which are non-public, supported by local commune- and ward-level stations. At the end of 2024, hospital bed capacity reached 34 per 10,000 people, slightly above the global average.
The 56-year-old patient from Quang Tri province was discharged in stable condition as he no longer experienced shortness of breath and was able to walk, move around, and eat normally.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Vu Trung, Director of the Pasteur Institute, said that under the MoU, the two sides committed to promoting diverse and practical collaborative activities, including joint conferences and workshops, exchanges of scholars, researchers and students, sharing academic materials, and the development of specific programmes and projects in scientific research, training, and epidemic prevention.
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In 2024, Vietnam achieved 99% coverage for the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, up from 80% in 2023. Immunisation coverage in the country has not only rebounded to the high levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic but has now surpassed the rates recorded in 2019.
Health authorities in HCM City have issued an urgent alert after six people died from dengue fever, amid a spike in infections driven by the onset of the rainy season.
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The Hanoi ceremony highlighted efforts to ensure all citizens, especially women and youth, can access accurate information and healthcare services to make informed reproductive choices.
After such a long time, the law has revealed many limitations, prompting the Ministry of Health (MoH) to gather opinions to amend the law to give more chances to thousands of patients every year.
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The centre not only serves residents living on the island, but also receives tens of thousands of visitors every year, according to Assoc Prof Dr Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the HCM CIty Department of Health.
Not only does Vietnam attract international tourists with its landscapes, culture, and cuisine, but it is also gradually becoming a reliable destination for medical treatment, offering high-quality services at reasonable costs.
Over the past six months, 150 communal health stations in provinces including Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Tay Ninh, Hau Giang, Ben Tre and Ca Mau have been equipped with information technology systems. In addition, 117 key provincial healthcare workers have received training, with thousands more expected to follow.
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After more than three weeks of intensive treatment, the patient's pneumonia improved, breathing stabilised, sedation was reduced, and the breathing tube was removed. He is now conscious, able to eat orally, and in recovery.
Spraying chemicals to eradicate mosquito and larva. Photo: VNA
