Binh Thuan urged to intensify communication on dengue prevention

Binh Thuan (VNA) – Authorities of the southern central province of Binh Thuan have been urged to intensify public awareness campaigns on dengue prevention, especially in mountainous areas, as cases of infection are rising.

In his tour to inspect disease prevention work in the locality on August 23, Director of the National Hygiene and Epidemiology Institute Dang Duc Anh said many local residents are not active in taking prevention measures. The inspection team detected large numbers of mosquitos and larvae at houses in Phong Nam Commune, Phan Thiet City.

The director also asked the local authorities to keep close watch on the disease development in high risk areas, and pay attention to preparing human resources, medicines and equipment to minimise fatalities.

Binh Thuan is one of the localities recording high numbers of dengue fever, with 1,187 cases so far this year, up 2.3 times year-on-year. Most of the cases were in the districts of Ham Thuan Bac, Duc Linh, Phan Thiet and Bac Binh.

Ham Thuan Bac district has the highest number of infections, with 366 cases, accounting for 31 percent of the number of infections in the locality, said the local health sector.

To cope with the situation, the provincial Preventative Medicine Centre launched campaigns to kill mosquitoes and larvae in all the districts.

However, the health sector meets with difficulties in some areas where residents do not make their own efforts to clean up their houses. Some even refuse to cooperate when medical workers come to spray chemicals.

Dengue fever is forecast to spread in the remaining months of the year as the rainy season has come.-VNA