In its yesterday document to people’s committees in the central provinces of Nghe An, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien – Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Phu Yen, the South-Central province of Khanh Hoa, the Mekong Delta Province of Ben Tre, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, the Ministry proposed to increase preventive measures against dengue
Activities including dispose of unwanted containers where water may gather into a covered bin and removal of stagnant water and prevent mosquitoes from breeding should be done once a week in areas at high risk and twice a week in other areas.
The 12 above-mentioned cities and provinces have seen an increase in the number of dengue patients including one death. Warmer weather and rainy days since the beginning of this year favor mosquito breeding across the country; the numbers of dengue cases are likely to continue to rise, and more dengue clusters will form in the coming weeks to months without drastic preventive measures.
To control the spread of the disease, the Ministry wanted people’s committees in 12 cities and province to keep an eye on activities to kill mosquitoes and its larva in July and maintain such activities in next months.
Local administrations and the local health authorities are assigned to mobilize all forces to check whether there is water gathering in the tray beneath an air-conditioner and in the drainage system, and remove any stagnant water in all households.
Health authorities must monitor dengue outbreaks and spray chemical to purge mosquitoes of households.
Infirmaries must minimize dengue-related death and provide online consultation to help their peers in grass-root medical centers to treat dengue patients to prevent patient overload.
The Department of Information and Communications in districts and medical organizations in collaboration with health sector to engage in dissemination of information against dengue to raise people’s awareness of the disease.
Community activities against larvae and adults can include turning small earthen jars upside down once a week and keeping tires, metal boxes, discarded appliances, sinks, basins, vehicle frames and parts of other items on industrial and commercial premises in sheltered areas protected from rainfall, and using mosquito nets to protect infants and small children from bites during the day time, and also insecticide-treated mosquito nets and curtains to kill mosquitos attempting to bite through the nets or resting on the nets or curtains.
People should go to nearby medical facilities when they have symptoms of dengue.
