Hanoi, Feb 14 (IANS) The number of malaria cases in Vietnam continued to decline in 2024 with 353 cases, a 21 per cent decrease compared to the previous year, Vietnam News cited the Ministry of Health as saying on Friday.
One third of these cases were imported, and no deaths or outbreaks were reported, highlighting the country’s progress in eliminating the disease, said the report.
Hoang Dinh Canh, Director of the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology, said the country had made notable progress in eliminating malaria, with 48 provinces and cities officially recognised as malaria-free.
Vietnam’s national strategy for malaria prevention, control and elimination has set out a roadmap for malaria elimination by 2030.
Canh said to achieve that goal, Vietnam must ensure zero locally transmitted cases by 2027, Xinhua news agency reported.
According to the World Health Organisation, malaria is a life-threatening disease spread to humans by some types of mosquitoes. It is mostly found in tropical countries. It is preventable and curable.
The infection is caused by a parasite and does not spread from person to person.
Symptoms can be mild or life-threatening. Mild symptoms are fever, chills and headache. Severe symptoms include fatigue, confusion, seizures, and difficulty breathing.
Infants, children under 5 years, pregnant women and girls, travellers and people with HIV or AIDS are at higher risk of severe infection.
Malaria can be prevented by avoiding mosquito bites and with medicines. Treatments can stop mild cases from getting worse.
Malaria mostly spreads to people through the bites of some infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Blood transfusion and contaminated needles may also transmit malaria. The first symptoms may be mild, similar to many febrile illnesses, and difficulty to recognise as malaria. Left untreated, P. falciparum malaria can progress to severe illness and death within 24 hours.
Symptoms usually start within 10–15 days of getting bitten by an infected mosquito.
Symptoms may be mild for some people, especially for those who have had a malaria infection before. Because some malaria symptoms are not specific, getting tested early is important.
According to the latest World Malaria Report, there were 263 million cases of malaria in 2023 compared to 252 million cases in 2022. The estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 5,97,000 in 2023 compared to 6,00,000 in 2022.
–IANS
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