Vector-Borne Disease Control: Ministry Of Health Holds Annual Review Meeting

The annual review meeting of vector-borne disease control branch was held with COVID-19 regulations at the Ministry of Health in Nay Pyi Taw on Wednesday.
In the meeting, Deputy Minister for Health Dr. Aye Tun stressed that the total number of malaria patients was 58,835 in 2020 and 79,001 in 2021.
As for the anti-malaria plan, the goal is to eliminate Plasmodium falciparum infection in Myanmar by 2025 and eliminate malaria by 2030. He also stressed making malaria treatment drugs and medical supplies accessible to everyone, ensuring medicines not to be expired, and delivering the mosquito net to everyone. He expressed that in the first-six months of this year, there were 7,835 dengue fever patients and 31 died.
The most common infectious areas were Ayeyawaddy Region, Yangon Region, Mon State, Bago Region and Tanintharyi Region and it is necessary to give awareness to people for prevention of the disease. In cooperation with regional governments, it is necessary to carry out malaria prevention work and prevention and suppression of dengue fever.
The attendees discussed the advantages, weaknesses and difficulties in preventing diseases transmitted through mosquito bites such as malaria, dengue fever, Lymphatic filariasis, Japanese encephalitis, Chikungunya virus and Zika virus. The director-general of the Public Health Department, deputy directors-general of relevant departments, representatives from WHO, UNOPS, Save the Children and officials attended the meeting.