Over 100 delegates from 17 member countries of the Asia Pacific Malaria Elimination Network (APMEN) will gather at a conference in the central province of Quang Nam on March 25-27 to discuss enhancing links among nations to fight malaria.

Co-organised by APMEN and the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology (NIMPE), the event will offer a forum for countries to share their experience and knowledge as well as difficulties and challenges in preventing malaria, which is hoped to be eliminated by 2030.

According to NIMPE Director Tran Thanh Duong, the conference will hear new studies by foreign scientists in preventing malaria and Vietnam’s experience in implementing its national strategy programme for extirpating the disease.

Statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO) show that efforts made by APMEN’s member states since 2000 have helped reduce 48 percent of malaria cases in these countries.

Vietnam joined the network in 2012, with the intent to eradicate the disease by 2030.

Efforts made by ministries, sectors and localities and the support from the Government and domestic and foreign partners over the last decade has led Vietnam to reap remarkable successes in preventing malaria and to see a strong decrease in malaria cases and mortalities.

Over the past decade, the number of malaria cases has dropped by 90.4 percent and the death rate from the disease reduced by 95.9 percent from the figures of 2000. Only six deaths from malaria were reported in 2014.

Duong said Vietnam is focused on malaria prevention and newly on total elimination.

From 2011-2020, Vietnam aims to offer universal access to early-diagnosis and timely and effective malaria treatment at public and private medical establishments while providing vulnerable communities with prevention methods.-VNA