Due to dengue fever’s complicated development in some localities across the country, the Ministry of Health (MoH) decided to set up 8 mission teams to check dengue fever prevention task in 18 major cities and provinces in August.
A report by the ministry showed that the number of infection cases has increased three fold since the beginning of the year compared to same last year.
As per the Ministry, by early August, the country has over 45,000 dengue fever infection cases including 14 deaths in 46 cities and provinces. Noticeably, the cases of infection climbed by 2.6 times compared to same period last year. Meanwhile 2015 is considered as peak season of the dengue fever but the country had nearly 40,000 cases.
Head of the Ministry’s Preventive Medicine Department Professor Tran Dac Phu said that lately most cases of dengue fever are living in the four Highland provinces of Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum and some southern and central provinces such as An Giang, Dong Thap, Ho Chi Minh City, Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen, and Binh Dinh.
The southern and the highland province have high rate of dengue fever cases because it enters rainy season which is conducive to outbreaks of the disease.
Vietnam has suffered harsh weather conditions this year as the consequences of the longest El Nino spell triggering mosquitoes grow. El Nino caused drought; consequently households keep water in jugs or water containers where mosquitoes usually lay eggs into.
Along with it, in many places, families throw discarded tires around the house which turned out to be water containers where mosquito larva grows up.
The eight teams from the Ministry will tour to check prevention task in major cities and provinces including the southern provinces of An Giang, Binh Phuoc, the Highland province of Kom Tum, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, Ben Tre, Dong Thap, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, HCMC, Ba Ria- Vung Tau, the Central City of Da Nang, the central provinces of Quang Ngai.
At the same time, Health Minister will remind chairpersons of People’s Committees in 10 cities and provinces with high rate of mortality and infection cases because of dengue fever paying more attention to prevention task.
The Ministry said that dengue fever cases escalated in many Pacific Asian countries meanwhile there has been no vaccine or specific medication against the disease.
