MoH’s VBDC holds annual review meeting for 2020-2021

The opening ceremony of the annual review meeting of vector-borne disease control branch was held with COVID-19 regulations at the Ministry of Health meeting room in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
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. In the anti-malaria project there was no one found with plasmodium falciparum in the country in 2025 and the infection of malaria will disappear in 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 area was Ayeyawady Region, Yangon Region, Mon State, Bago Region and Taninthayi region and it is necessary to give awareness to people for prevention of the disease.
He said that under the guidance of MoH and in cooperation with regional governments in the respective regions and states, 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. — MNA