Acting by the requirement of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Environment (Ministry of Health), the IMPE-Quy Nhon reported o­n its activities of the first 10 months of 2009 and the plan for 2010 o­n control of malaria, other parasitic and vector-borne diseases in Central Vietnam.

Evaluating the implementation results in the first 10 months of 2009

Situations

The IMPE-Quy Nhon is assigned to be in charge of expertise management for 15 provinces of Central Vietnam, which posseses favourable conditions for the development of epidemic diseases; especially malaria, other parasitic and vector-borne diseases.

Advantages

- Straight directions from the MoH together with concerns from the government in terms of provisions of drugs, chemicals, materials and annual budgets; supports and coordination of local authorities and health sector in inspection, monitoring and surveillance of effective malaria and parasitic diseases control campaigns.

- Enthusiasm and inexhaustible efforts of staff involved in malaria control and preventive medicine, who have overcome all difficulties to complete their mission at their best.

Disadvantages

- The quality of the grass-roots health care network (district, commune, village) has not been improved effectively, leading to poorly-effective detection, treatment and management of malaria patients; malaria control activities for people working in the forests, sleeping at the field huts and mobilised people haven't yet received concerns from local health sectors; health communication and education for malaria control has not been active, especially in the community living in the far and remote areas.

- Several central provinces were severey affected by the Ketsana and the Mirenae typhoons, facing high risks of worsening malaria and parasite diseases situation for the remaining of 2009.

Human resource

At present, the Institute has 128 staff, including: 5 PhD.s, 12 M.Sc., 13 medical doctors, 2 pharmacists, 45 BA.s, 3 college BA.s, 44 secondary technicians and 15 other staff.

The Institute is facing a great deal of difficulties in attracting human resoures. Whereas the working conditions are not satisfiying for new comers, the existing medical staff are moving to work in health facilities with higher incentives.

The results of malaria control and parasite diseases

The results of malaria control in 10 first months of 2009

Malaria situation and causes of increasing malaria in 10 first months of 2009

Malaria morbidity in the whole region, as compared with the same period of 2008, increased by 13.94%, with 7.05% higher in the Central Coastal area and 24.28% up in the West Highlands; malaria parasites increased by 52.94%, including 37.91% higher in coastal area and 87.81% up in the West-Highlands.

Severe and complicated malaria: the whole region reported a 57.63% higher, composed by higher rates of 47.50% and 78.95% in the coastal area and the West-highlands, respectively.

Malaria mortality: there were 13 deaths from malaria, including 6 cases in coastal area (Quang Binh 1, Quang Tri 1, Phu Yen 3, Ninh Thuan 1) and 7 cases in West-highlands (Gia Lai 3, Kon Tum 1, Dak Lak 2, Dak Nong 1). No malaria outbreaks occurred in the whole region.

Therefore, in the 10 first months of 2009, malaria indicators increased against the same period of last year, especially there were 13 deaths from malaria (4 cases higher). Most of these deaths were among the mobilised people (people working in the forest, sleeping in the field huts); and some cases were reported self-administering anti-malarials at home, which led to severe and complicated symptoms of malaria upon their late hospital admission.

Malaria control activities in 2009

Amid the increasing malaria situation, the Institute directed localities to strengthen epidemiological surveillance in severely-hit and high-risk areas, while sending task groups to help provinces with difficulties. In addition, the IMPE also supported anti-malaria drugs, chemicals, materials, bednet and budget for provinces affected by the typhoons.

Helminthiasis control results in 2009

The IMPE deployed and finished the assigned plan of soil-transmitted helminthiasis and protozoa control in Thua Thien-Hue province. The helminthiasis surveillance resulted in a general infection rate of 19.49%; including Ascaris lumbricoides infection of 1.85%, Trichuris trichiura 0.38%, Ancylostoma duodenale 17.54%. The infection rate unicellular organisms accounted for 22.02%, including E.histolytica 20.66%, G.lamblia 1.36%.

The IMPE also carried out surveillance and provided guidelines of Fascioliasis diagnosis and treatment for provinces of Quang Nam and Quang Ngai. Besides, IMPE’s research team conducted study o­n flat worm infection in some areas of Kon Tum province and yielded a general Taenia saginata infection rate of 8.18%. Also, studies o­n Opisthorchis infection were carried out in provinces of Quang Tri and Dak Nong.

The study o­n Toxocara ascaris infection and the effectiveness of Albendazole used for treatment was also conducted in in some areas of Binh Dinh province. Furthermore, a study o­n strongyloidiasis using serological examination of 400 blood samples in Phu Cat district-Binh Dinh province found a 5% infection rate of Strongyloides stercoralis.

Diagnosis and treatment at the Institute's clinic in 10 first months of 2009

There were totally 17,928 patient-times coming to seek diagnosis and treatment at the clinic for the first 10 months of 2009. Among the patients, 2,096 were treated with Fascioliasis, accounting for 11.69%, the remaining patients were diagnosed and treated with other common helminths such as Toxocara canis, Hookworms, Opisthorchis