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Please let me start by thanking NIMPE and Nghe An Department of Health for organizing this important event to mark World Malaria Day.
I am sorry I can’t be with you in person today.
The theme for World Malaria Day is 2025 theme is Malaria Ends with Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite.
And here in Viet Nam, the theme is Mobilizing All Forces to Eliminate Malaria.
And indeed, Viet Nam has truly made enormous progress in mobilizing all forces, and the goal of malaria elimination is within our reach.
In the past 5 years, malaria cases have plummeted more than 90% from more than 4600, to 350.
What’s more, in 2024, Viet Nam did not report a single death due to malaria.
Viet Nam’s wonderful progress is due to the dedication and commitment of health-care workers in the remotest communities, along with all of you in this meeting – national and regional institutes, and provincial, district and commune health facilities.
WHO is very proud to support this work, with the National and regional Institutes for Malaria, Parasitology and Entomology – and valued partners and donors including the Global Fund, the United Nations Office for Project Services and the Clinton Health Access Initiative.
Let me share with you three recommendations for ensuring that Viet Nam can reach the target of eliminating malaria by 2030.
First, we need to step up financial commitments – including domestic funding to ensure we can sustainably control malaria.
Second, we need to continue to prioritize use of the tools that are proven to work, including vector control, and timely detection, diagnosis and treatment.
And finally, we need to continue to close gaps in access to malaria prevention, diagnosis and care. This means reaching the people who are most at risk - in remote, forest and mountainous ethnic minority communities, where people do not have easy access to health care – or to the information and resources they need to protect themselves.
Through continued efforts in all of these areas, together, we can accelerate malaria elimination and prevent its reestablishment – and contribute to a safer and healthier Viet Nam.
“Dồn tổng lực về đích loại trừ Sốt rét tại Việt Nam”
(“Mobilizing All Forces to Eliminate Malaria in Viet Nam")
Once again, I am sorry that I can’t be with you in person, but I wish you a very successful World Malaria Day event!
Xin cảm ơn!