Ministry of Health warns peak of dengue epidemic
In its yesterday dispatch to chairpersons of people's committees in provinces and cities, the Ministry of Health asked to strengthen the prevention of dengue fever.
According to the Ministry of Health, the peak of the dengue epidemic period is currently coming with an increase in the number of dengue fever cases in many provinces and cities lately, mainly in the South region and some provinces and cities in the central region.
According to medical experts, dry seasons followed by a period of excess rainfall can lead to a high risk of dengue outbreaks. In the summertime, there is humidity in the atmosphere during the rainy season which is a favorable environment condition for mosquitoes to breed; as a result, an upsurge in cases of dengue has been observed.
The Ministry of Health forecasts that the number of dengue patients will continue to increase in the coming time and may cause large-scale outbreaks if local governments and the health sector do not take drastic measures to prevent the disease.
Therefore, the Ministry of Health suggested that leaders in localities direct related agencies to assess the dengue epidemic situation in the area as well as propose solutions to take proactive measures to prevent dengue fever, thoroughly handle outbreaks to prevent outbreaks in the area.
Additionally, authorities at all levels were assigned to mobilize the participation of the community, agencies, and organizations to coordinate with the health sector in the campaign to eliminate mosquitoes. Health departments were requested to strengthen inspection and close monitoring of the epidemic situation in order to detect new cases early, focusing on places with old outbreaks and the risk of outbreaks.
To date, the country has recorded more than 60,000 cases of dengue fever. In particular, this year, the number of severe cases increased rapidly, much higher than the same period two years ago. Worse, more children succumbed to the disease than adults this year whereas the mortality of adults due to dengue is higher than in previous years.
