Nearly 90% of dengue patients or 35,400 patients live in southern Vietnam. The area recorded 21 deaths from the disease in the first seven months of this year, the Health Ministry reported.
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| Children with dengue being treated at the Pediatrics Hospital 1 in HCMC |
Nearly 90% of dengue patients or 35,400 patients live in southern Vietnam. The area recorded 21 deaths from the disease in the first seven months of this year, the Health Ministry reported.
The figure, among others, was released at a meeting of the ministry on dengue prevention and control held at the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday.
The disease has spread to 52 of the country’s 63 provinces and cities, affecting 39,897 people in January-July, a 35.3 percent increase from the same period last year.
The past seven months also saw 26 deaths from dengue fever in the whole country, 76.9 percent of whom are under 15 years old and 80.8 percent are female.
Southern Vietnam accounts for 80.7 percent of the country’s death toll. In the region, ten localities suffering the most from the disease are Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, Soc Trang, Long An, An Giang, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Dong Nai, Tien Giang and Dong Thap Provinces.
The number of patients in these localities has increased 1.5-2 times compared to the same period last year.
In central and northern Vietnam, the number of patients is nearly 3,600 and 337 respectively. In the Central Highlands region, the figure is 400.
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| Of the dengue patients, 76.9% are under 15 years old and 80.8% are female |
Unlike other parts of the country, the southern region has climate conditions that facilitate mosquito reproduction, the ministry said.
In addition, 40 percent of dengue patients were hospitalized later than they should have been, and as result, most of them suffered complications and died after a week of treatment.
Dr Tran Ngoc Huu, head of the HCMC Pasteur Institute, also said the dengue prevention and control in southern Vietnam has yet to be carried out as broadly as required, which led to low efficiency in the combat against the disease.
Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien has asked all local health departments and preventive health centers, especially those in southern provinces and cities, to take effective measures to deal with infected areas and tighten health control in areas that are prone to the disease.
“We must be more active in fighting the disease and prevent a pandemic from occurring,” the minister said.
(Source: TT News)
