Collaborative mission of IMPE Quy Nhon and WHO are working on the distribution of malaria cases in the meeting room of the Khanh Vinh District Health Center.

In the first four months of 2024, Viet Nam has seen a more than twofold increase in malaria cases. Health workers in Khanh Thuong Commune, Khanh Vinh District, Khanh Hoa Province, have been actively collecting blood smears and conducting tests to detect malaria. Khanh Hoa Province recorded the highest number of cases, with 94 instances accounting for 66.7% of the total, followed by Nghe An and Ha Tinh Provinces with eight and seven cases, respectively.

According to the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology, and Entomology, the country recorded 141 malaria cases in the first five months of this year, a 107.4% increase compared to the same period in 2023, with no epidemic declared. Globally, there were 249 million malaria cases in 2023 across 85 countries, an increase of five million from 2022. Africa remains the most affected region, with 233 million cases, representing 94% of the global malaria burden. The Western Pacific region, including Viet Nam, reported about 1.4 million cases.

Over the past decade, Viet Nam has seen a steady decline in malaria cases and deaths, from 15,752 cases to 448 last year. Despite this progress, 13 out of 23 provinces reported imported malaria cases. To meet the 2030 malaria elimination goal set by the Central Party Committee's Resolution No. 20, the country must eradicate domestic malaria parasites by 2027. However, several provinces, such as Lai Chau, Khanh Hoa, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, and Dak Nong, continue to experience complex malaria outbreaks.

Approximately seven million people in 1,030 communes across Viet Nam, primarily poor and ethnic minority communities in remote and border areas, live in malaria-endemic regions. Limited public awareness and participation in malaria prevention measures, such as using mosquito nets and taking the correct medication doses, contribute to the o­ngoing challenge. The spread of artemisinin-resistant P. falciparum malaria parasites poses an additional threat.

Health staff of IMPE Quy Nhon take the blood smears and conduct tests to detect
malaria cases in Khanh Thuong Commune, Khanh Vinh District, Khanh Hoa Province.
Photo Phan Thi Sau - VNA/VNS

Parasitic diseases, while often having mild clinical symptoms, remain prevalent in certain areas, impacting public health significantly. Poor economic conditions, hygiene practices, and the emergence of new disease-transmitting insects exacerbate the situation. Despite efforts, monitoring, detection, and prevention activities face numerous obstacles. Local authorities have not consistently prioritized or adequately invested in malaria prevention, and o­nly a minority of provinces and districts have implemented the Ministry of Health's plans for 2021-25 to combat parasitic diseases.

By the end of 2023, o­nly 7% of districts had conducted epidemiological zoning for parasitic diseases. The Ministry of Health's decisions aimed at guiding and zoning for parasitic disease prevention are progressing slowly, with o­nly 33 out of 63 provinces participating in phased prevention plans.

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