The purpose of the launching ceremony is to propagandize the content and importance of the World Malaria Day, 25th April to improve the knowledge, attitude and practice of the community in malaria control; to launch the campaign to implement the malaria control measures in the first six months of 2016 effectively, contributing in achieving the goals of reducing the malaria morbility and mortality, and preventing malaria outbreaks from occurring; to launch the health education and communication campaign to propagandize malaria control for the ethnic minorities living in malaria-endemic areas and areas with antimalarial drugs resistance.

After the fascinating performance of the Khanh Vinh cadres, employees, Assoc.Prof. Nguyen Van Chuong, Director of IMPE-QN made the opening speech and launched the campaign to implement the malaria control measures in 2016; some other delegates also stated at the ceremony such as the directive speeches of Assoc.Prof. Tran Dac Phu - director of the General Department of Preventive Medicine and Mr. Nguyen Dac Tai - Vice-Chairman of the People's Committee of Khanh Hoa province, the speech of Dr. Tran Cong Dai - WHO's expert in praise of the malaria control achievements all over the world in general and in Vietnam in particular as well as the challenges confronting each country; the speeches of Mr. Mau Van Phi, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Khanh Vinh district and Dr Specialist II. Nguyen Dinh Thoan, Vice Director of Khanh Hoa provincial Department of Health o­n responding the World Malaria Day, 25th April.

Assoc.Prof. Nguyen Van Chuong, Director of IMPE-QN made the opening speech and launched the campaign to implement the malaria control measures in 2016

            In his speech, Assoc.Prof. Nguyen Van Chuong, Director of IMPE Quy Nhon pointed out that this was the nineth year IMPE-QN launched the World Malaria Day with the theme "End malaria for good" and with a strong commitment to malaria control and elimination. The World Malaria Day was first launched by the members of the World Health Organization in the meeting of Global Health Council in 2007. In the past few years, the IMPE Quy Nhon and the health sectors of the Central Vietnam provinces and army medical forces, border guard have devoted a great deal of efforts in the malaria control activities. In the five-year period (2011-2015) the nationwide malaria indexes have declined dramatically, particularly the morbidity and mortality rates decreased by nearly 60% and 80% respectively, and no malaria outbreak occured. Especially, the malaria indicators in Central Vietnam in 2015 have all reduced compared to 2011, namely malaria patients by 53.78% (7,644/16,539); malaria parasites by 42.71% (6,501/11,348); severe and complicated malaria by 84.38% (15/96); malaria deaths by 5 cases (1/6), no malaria outbreak occured. However, Central Vietnam in general and Khanh Hoa province in particular have complicated malaria characteristics and high risk of malaria resurgence, especially in remote, mountainous and border areas. The people in some areas do not have awareness of self-protection against malaria infection, not actively go to medical facilities for examination and treatment as having fever, leading to severe complications and death. Almost malaria infected cases and malaria deaths in the whole country have mainly concentrated in the mobilized population groups such as free migrants, forest goers, border crossers, etc. P.falciparum has already developed resistance to the highly-effective antimalarial drug Artemisinine in Binh Phuoc, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, Quang Nam and Khanh Hoa; more dangerously, there is high risk of more widespread resistance due to medically uncontrollable movements. Beside that, we are still facing many challenges in malaria control, for examples malaria mosquitos change the ecological acitivities and resist insecticides, along with the impact of global climate changes that create reasonable conditions for malaria developing and increasing dramatically.

Assoc.Prof. Nguyen Van Chuong also stressed that in order to effectively implement the national strategy for malaria prevention and elimination, it is necessary to focus o­n the following specific measures:

1. All levels of government direct the work of malaria control and strengthen multi-sectoral collaboration in the implementation of measures to combat malaria; timely informing about all malaria cases to better management of patients.

2. The Departments of Health and the Centers for Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology of all provinces continue to direct provincial health centers, communal medical stations to implement the disease monitoring procedures; strictly complying the Guidelines for Malaria Diagnosis and Treatment of the Ministry of Health.

3. Improving the quality of vectors control measures and treatment of malaria patients in severely-hit areas and antimalarial drug-resistant areas; timely preventing risk of outbreaks and spread of drugs resistant malaria parasites.

4. Strengthening the control of malaria patients through grassroots medical network; bringing into play the tradition of army-civil medical combination in management of malaria patients, as well as carrying out the health communication and education to raise the community's awareness of self-protection while living in or going into malaria-endemic areas, thence creating sustainable factors in malaria control and step by step eliminating malaria.

5. Strengthening the malaria epidemiological surveillance and the quality monitoring of malaria diagnosis and treatment at all levels; monitoring and directing the malaria control measures in time when malaria cases increase. Directing the communal health stations to monitor and support health services for those going into the forest and sleeping in the field-huts. Mobilizing the people to go to health facilities for medical diagnosis and treatment when having the symptoms of malaria.

6. The malaria control centers/ centres for preventive medicine of the regional provinces should take the initiative in organizing the supervision of hot spots, checking the quality of malaria diagnosis and treatment at grassroots level, steering the sending of blood-slides for technical inspection in accordance with the provisions of the National Malaria Control Programme in order to monitor the quality of examination laboratories and microscopic points.

Assoc.Prof. Ho Van Hoang-Vice director of IMPE-QN in his speech at the ceremony

The Launching Ceremony continued with the march along the main streets in Khanh Vinh town, Khanh Vinh district, Khanh Hoa province. Hoping that the Launching Ceremony will positively influence the people's awareness, attitude and behaviour pertaining to malaria control.

Participants to the launching ceremony.