Mosquito-borne diseases on the rise due to El Nino

According to information from the Ministry of Health , the World Health Organization believes that in 2023 and 2024, the El Nino phenomenon could increase the transmission of dengue fever and other arboviruses such as Zika, Chikungunya, and Japanese encephalitis.

Climate change also promotes mosquito breeding and increases mosquito-borne diseases.

Vietnam is a tropical country with a hot and humid climate and is located in an area with high prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases.

Infectious diseases increase due to El Nino phenomenon Ministry of Health disease prevention instructions picture 1 — Climate change also promotes mosquito breeding and increases mosquito-borne infectious diseases (photo source: internet).

According to the forecast of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the El Nino phenomenon is likely to occur in the second half of 2023. In addition, the weather is currently entering the rainy season, creating favorable conditions for disease-carrying mosquitoes to thrive.

To proactively prevent and control epidemics, not allowing them to break out and spread, on July 10, 2023, the Ministry of Health sent Official Dispatch No. 4295/BYT-DP requesting the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to direct the implementation of a number of epidemic prevention and control contents in the area.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Health requested the People's Committees of provinces and cities to assign the People's Committees at all levels to directly direct and more strongly implement mosquito larvae/larva eradication activities in the area in July 2023; maintain activities once a week in high-risk areas, once every 2 weeks in areas with high mosquito, mosquito larvae/larva indexes and once a month in the remaining areas.

At the same time, assign specific responsibilities to authorities at all levels to direct and mobilize departments, branches, and socio -political organizations to coordinate with the health sector to implement a campaign to destroy mosquito larvae/larvae, ensuring that all households in epidemic and at-risk areas must have their water tanks, containers, utensils, waste, and mosquito breeding grounds inspected and monitored to carry out methods to destroy mosquito larvae.

Propose that the People's Committees of provinces and cities assign the Health Sector to closely monitor, supervise and thoroughly handle local outbreaks of infectious diseases.

Ensure that 100% of outbreaks are detected and handled promptly in accordance with the instructions of the Ministry of Health.

Direct the review and organization of Japanese encephalitis vaccination for children of vaccination age in the form of regular vaccination to achieve a high rate of complete, on-schedule, safe and effective vaccination.

Direct medical examination and treatment facilities to organize well the admission and treatment of patients, minimize deaths, especially at private medical examination and treatment facilities, avoid the situation where patients do not receive timely consultation, emergency care, treatment and referral, and at the same time have a plan to allocate treatment routes, support lower levels, and avoid hospital overload;

Ensure adequate medicine, equipment and medical supplies for medical examination and treatment.

Direct the Department of Information and Communications, mass media agencies to coordinate with the health sector to strengthen the implementation of epidemic prevention propaganda activities, diversify communication activities so that people understand and proactively implement disease prevention measures such as mosquito control measures, using mosquito nets, preventing mosquito bites, communicating about signs of dengue fever and mosquito-borne diseases, instructing people not to self-treat at home when sick, but to go immediately to medical facilities for timely examination and treatment.

Propose that the People's Committees of provinces and cities assign functional units to organize interdisciplinary inspection teams of authorities at all levels to inspect and supervise the implementation of the directions of the Ministry of Health and the People's Committees of provinces and cities.

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