Authorities announce incredible milestone in fight against deadly disease: 'Early detection and treatment … are essential'
Vietnam's Ministry of Health recently shared good news about the number of malaria cases in the country last year.
In 2024, only 353 cases were recorded, a 21% decrease compared to the previous year. There also were no reported deaths, and one-third of the cases were "imported," per Viet Nam News. The country has been working to eliminate malaria by 2030 and appears to be on track, as cases have dropped by almost 98% in the last decade and 48 localities have been declared malaria-free.
"Early detection and treatment of parasite carriers are essential, as these individuals are the main sources of transmission, particularly in imported cases," Hoàng Đình Cảnh, director of the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology, and Entomology, told Viet Nam News.
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Cảnh also explained that preventative measures such as spraying for mosquitoes and sleeping under nets are key to the elimination of the disease.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half the world's countries are at risk from malaria, with young children and pregnant women the most vulnerable populations.
Ongoing changes to the climate, especially increasing temperatures, could increase malaria and other mosquito-borne illnesses, including Zika virus and dengue fever. The World Health Organization reports that warmer climates and changing weather patterns can expand the regions that support mosquitos and other disease vectors, helping them spread to areas ill-prepared to deal with them.
Even with these concerns, malaria has slowly but steadily receded across the globe. Last year, the WHO added the African island nation of Cabo Verde as a malaria-free country to the list of 43 countries and one territory with certification.
Scientists have also developed a vaccine for malaria, and there has been success with administering it in Africa. The WHO reported the three-dose treatment caused deaths to drop by 13% in young children over the course of a four-year pilot program.
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