I am pleased to be here with you to commemorate World Malaria Day in Viet Nam. World Malaria Day was instituted by the World Health Assembly in 2007, 11 years ago. It provides an opportunity for WHO and partners to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria control and elimination. As 25 April is King Hung’s Festival Day in Viet Nam, we observe World Malaria Day 1 day earlier, today on 24 April.
This year, the global theme is Ready to Beat Malaria. In Viet Nam, I would like to highlight the need for continued investment to maintain achievements and advance towards elimination of malaria in Viet Nam.
Viet Nam has made remarkable progress in malaria control in the past 10 years. The number of malaria cases decreased from more than 11,000 in 2008 to about 4,500 in 2017. During the same period, the number of deaths reduced by 76% from 25 to 6. More than 40 provinces are now free of malaria. Viet Nam has achieved all of the targets set out in the National Strategy for Malaria Control and Elimination for 2011-2020.
This assessment is not just self-promotion by Viet Nam and WHO in Viet Nam. This is confirmed in assessments by international malaria experts. In September last year, international malaria experts gathered in Viet Nam to review the achievements and performance of the national malaria control programme. The results of this assessment, National Malaria Programme Review- Viet Nam 2018, was recently published by WHO and is available here for you today.
I deeply appreciate the health officials for their dedication and hard work. Special thanks to National Institute for Malaria, Parasitology and entomology (NIMPE) and Regional Institutes in Quy Nhon and Ho Chi Minh City!
Congratulations!
Ladies and gentlemen,
We should not loosen our grip on malaria control.
Despite the good news, there are many challenges ahead. The global response to malaria is at a crossroads. After an unprecedented period of world-wide success in malaria control, progress has stalled. In 2016, 445,000 people died from malaria globally, compared to 446,000 estimated deaths in 2015.
In Viet Nam malaria is concentrated in certain areas in the hilly, forested areas in the Central and Southern provinces. People living in these areas have to go farther to access health services and so are at greater risk of the disease. A more serious concern is the detection of artemisinin resistant malaria from these areas.
If artemisinin resistant malaria is allowed to spread, it will jeopardize efforts to eliminate malaria in Viet Nam, and will be a risk to malaria control efforts in the region, and beyond.
We must not allow the spread of artemisinin resistant malaria.
Viet Nam must reconfirm its political commitment and strengthen its investments in order to maintain its achievements so far, eliminate malaria and further contribute to global health security.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Malaria Programme Review provides following recommendations to Viet Nam.
First, Ensure sufficient national financing for malaria elimination activities, especially in provinces not funded by the Global Fund. The Government had sustained funds for malaria for long periods since the early 1990s. Recently however national funds for malaria had reduced by half since 2014.
Second, Develop a national action plan for malaria elimination. As Viet Nam has achieved all of the targets set out in the current National Strategy for Malaria Control and Elimination for 2011-2020, now is the time to develop a new elimination plan. The Party Resolution 20 has already set the goal to eliminate malaria in Viet Nam by 2030.
Third, Establish an independent national elimination committee to verify subnational malaria elimination and help advise the country to achieve national elimination.
Fourth, Strengthen and integrate malaria surveillance into communicable disease surveillance and prioritize case-based surveillance.
I am confident that we can eliminate malaria from Viet Nam within the timeframe set by the Party Resolution 20.
WHO is committed to providing continual support for the country in achieving this goal.
Thank you.