In the overall survey of all three communes, Anopheles maculatus predominated over the other species, with a total of 276 individuals. Out of the 16 collected species, four were malaria vectors, including the primary vectors Anopheles minimus and Anopheles dirus, as well as two secondary vectors, namely Anopheles aconitus and Anopheles maculatus.
In the context of an increase in malaria cases in the first 8 months of 2023 compared to the same period of 2022 in three communes (Khanh Thuong, Khanh Thanh, and Son Thai) of Khanh Vinh district, Khanh Hoa province, the Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology Quy Nhon has enhanced its support in containment of the disease.
To obtain the latest information regarding the malaria situation in Central Vietnam and identify obstacles and complexities in malaria control and elimination efforts, a joint mission to Gia Lai province was undertaken on May 08-09, 2023. This collaborative site visit involved the Institute of Malariology, Parasitology, and Entomology Quy Nhon (IMPE-QN) and the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative's Office in Thailand, Switzerland, and Viet Nam.
Central Vietnam is the hardest hit region by malaria in the country for many decades with high rates of malaria morbidity and mortality. This region is characterized by its geographical location with long borderlines adjacent to Laos and Cambodia, along with the presence of nature reservations and national forests. This region is also inhabited by many ethnic minorities whose livelihoods are closely linked to logging and forest products exploitation.
World Malaria Day, marked each year on 25 April, brings together the global malaria community to highlight global efforts to end malaria, the need for sustained political commitment and continued investment for malaria control and elimination. Today, the combination of low coverage of existing tools, emerging biological threats and funding shortfalls are brewing a perfect storm for malaria. Now is the time to take decisive action to deliver on our goal of zero malaria and achieve 2030 targets. This World Malaria Day, it's time to deliver zero malaria.
Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong emphasized that more focalized and aggressive interventions should be considered and implemented in confirmed foci of transmissions to eliminate malaria, and close supervision of areas with mobilized and migrant populations.
On May 26, 2023, the Institute of Malariology, Parasitology, and Entomology Quy Nhon (IMPE-QN) had a meeting with international expert groups that have been cooperating with IMPE-QN in research and treatment of malaria, and other infectious diseases in Central Vietnam. The meeting aimed to further enhance groundbreaking applied and fundamental scientific research, cooperation and knowledge exchange in the field of malaria, drug-resistant malaria, and some emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases that significantly impact human health in Viet Nam.
As Viet Nam approaches elimination, malaria has become rare or non-existent in settled, ethnic majority villages but persists in geographically remote areas inhabited by ethnic minorities. Malaria control is facing a lot of difficulties because of uncontrollable mobilized populations such as forest goers and border crossers. Behavior change of minority groups - to alert populations to need to seek prompt diagnosis and treatment from available services, and to comply with full course of treatment - is challenging and requires persistent efforts using multiple channels with involvement of Commune Health Workers and Community Malaria Action Team members. Here are two typical examples of such engagement in two malaria hotpots of Viet Nam - Lai Chau and Gia Lai.
On May 10, Peter Sands, the Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, stated that the Fund is dedicated to continuing support for Viet Nam in eradicating these three diseases.
Following the External Competency Assessment of Malaria Microscopists (ECAMM) conducted in September 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative Office in Viet Nam continues to support the capacity assessment of laboratory technicians from three institutes of malariology, parasitology and entomology (IMPE) in Ha Noi, Quy Nhon and Ho Chi Minh city. This support was provided from 13 -17 March, 2023 in Quy Nhon city.
We know a lot about mosquito preferences up close, but how do mosquitoes find us from up to a hundred meters away? From repellants to app-based mosquito monitoring and a new malaria vaccine, researchers are making important breakthroughs in the fight against the biting insects.
The parasite resistance to antimalarial drugs in Central highland of Vietnam is an early warning to us that we are losing the most optimal weapons fighting the malaria. The dihydroartemisin plus piperaquine combination and chloroquin, which was listed into the essential antimalarial drugs since 2007 in Vietnam, has been used for 10 years until resistance appears in some Southern, Central of Western highland provinces. The study was conducted to evaluate the first-line drugs' efficacy in the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax patients in multicenters;
On 15 February 2022, WHO organized an virtual conference to officially issue Guidelines guideline on control and elimination of human schistosomiasis. This is the first WHO guidance on the evaluation of interruption of schistosomiasis transmission. This guideline provides evidence-based recommendations to support countries in morbidity control and elimination of the disease as a public health problem, and to move towards interruption of transmission.
Scientists discover that two thirds of the malaria parasite's genes are essential for normal growth, meaning there are many more possible drug targets than previously thought.
The Party Congress of the Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology Quy Nhon (IMPE-QN) was held on 24 April 2015 with the attendances of comrade Nguyen Ba Tra, Secretary of Party Committee of Provincial Agencies Block (PAC); comrade Le Binh Thanh, Deputy Secretary of Party Committee of PAC; comrade Nguyen Huu Loc, Chairman of Party Inspection Committee; comrade Nguyen Van Minh, Head of Propaganda and Instruction Committee, and the Executive Committee of the Institute Communist Party Committee and all Party members of IMPE-QN.
The Trade Union Congress of the Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology Quy Nhon (IMPE-QN) was held on 17 September 2017 with the attendances of Assoc.Prof. Nguyen Van Chuong- Director of IMPE-QN, Dr. Tran Thi Bich Hang- Chairwoman of Vietnam National Union of Health Workers, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Minh Tam, Vice-Chairwoman of Binh Dinh Provincial Union of Health Workers, Mr. Vu Ba Toan, Deputy Director and Chairman of Quy Hoa National Leprosy Dermatology Hospital and 154 unionists of IMPE-QN.
Continuing the success of previous years, this year's 5th Red Journey- Connecting Vietnamese bloodstream was held in July in 28 provinces and cities across the country, including Binh Dinh province, starting from 01 July in Cape Ca Mau and ending in Hanoi capital.
Som Aun contracted malaria after moving to the Thma Baing district of Cambodia's Koh Kong province in 2002. Four years later, two of his children contracted the disease.
Scientists find curbing the overuse of antimalarial drugs often replaced by overuse of antibiotics instead; study also reveals puzzling cases of malaria patients testing positive yet going untreated.
Primaquine, an 8-aminoquinoline drug capable of clearing the intra-hepatic schizonts, hypnozoites of Plasmodium vivax, and holds a unique and unreplaceable radical cure, but the non-compliance with 14 day-course primaquine regimen is a big problem now.
Researchers have demonstrated in a clinical trial that a new vaccine for malaria has been up to 100 percent effective when assessed at 10 weeks after last dose of vaccine.
Malaria is a vector-borne disease by far the world's most important tropical parasitic disease with high mortality and morbidity, especially in tropical Africa and South East Asia. The emergence of artemisinin resistance in Vietnam as big obstacle to reduce the malaria burden and elimination.
Dracunculiasis (commonly known as guinea-worm disease) is a crippling parasitic disease caused by Dracunculus medinensis- a long, thread-like worm. It is transmitted exclusively when people drink stagnant water contaminated with parasite-infected water fleas.
Health experts are advising people to take precautions to prevent epidemics and diseases that frequently occur in the first three months of the year during the humid weather and crowded festivals, said Tran Dac Phu, head of the Ministry of Health's Department of Preventive Medicine.