Nghe An promotes the prevention and control of parasitic diseases

Accordingly, Nghe An is located in the tropical zone, the climate conditions, living habits of the people as well as current environmental sanitation are very favorable for the development and spread of parasitic diseases.

Those at high risk of infection are preschool children, students and women of childbearing age. Some occupations that regularly come into direct contact with soil have a higher infection rate such as farming, growing vegetables, crops...

Parasites are the source of disease transmission and some of them can be fatal to their hosts. Photo: Internet

According to the investigation results of the Central Institute of Malaria - Parasitology - Entomology in 2020 - 2021 in some districts in Nghe An province, the rate of intestinal worm infection is 15-20%.

According to the report on the results of symptomatic patients coming to the Center for Disease Control of Nghe An province (period 2018 - 2022), the rate of detecting infected patientsflukesLarge liver is 18.33%, strongyloidiasis is 13%, roundworm larvae disease is 37%.

Parasitic diseases often have a silent and prolonged course, so they receive little attention. Meanwhile, the incidence of some types of parasites in some specific communities is high, such as in children, women of reproductive age, people in difficult areas, and ethnic minorities.

Economic conditions, eating and drinking hygiene practices, personal hygiene and environmental sanitation in schools and rural areas are still difficult, increasing the risk of infection and limiting the effectiveness of prevention.

In order to contribute to reducing the burden of common parasitic diseases in Nghe An and improving public health, the People's Committee of Nghe An province has issued Plan No. 241/KH-UBND.

Specifically, the People's Committee of Nghe An province clearly assigned responsibilities to departments, branches and localities to assess the prevalence of parasitic diseases such as soil-transmitted helminths, intestinal helminths, food-borne liver flukes, parasitic diseases transmitted from animals to humans... and to build an epidemiological map of diseases and parasitic diseases.

From there, propose intervention measures and develop appropriate parasite prevention and control plans for each group of diseases and each epidemic area; determine the need for drugs, supplies, funding, and interventions for epidemic areas; and develop plans to prevent and control parasitic diseases according to the epidemic area of ​​each parasitic disease.

In 2023, the localities that will carry out the assessment of parasitic disease epidemiology include: Dien Chau, Nghia Dan, Quy Chau, Vinh city, Nam Dan, Tan Ky, Tuong Duong. In 2024, the assessment will be conducted in the localities: Nghi Loc, Quynh Luu, Hoang Mai town, Quy Hop, Do Luong, Anh Son, Ky Son. In 2025, the assessment will be conducted in the localities: Yen Thanh, Thai Hoa town, Cua Lo town, Que Phong, Hung Nguyen, Thanh Chuong and Con Cuong.

Nghe An province will select 09 diseases that need to be prioritized for assessment in the period 2023-2025 as follows: Soil-transmitted helminth diseases (roundworm disease; whipworm disease; hookworm disease); Other intestinal helminth diseases (pinworm disease); Food-borne trematode diseases (fascioliasis); parasitic diseases transmitted from animals to humans (cat and dog roundworm larvae disease).

Along with the assessment work, Nghe An province also pointed out intervention solutions to prevent and control parasitic diseases, including: Organizing treatment of cases; promoting communication work; solutions for people; solutions at schools; coordination between departments, branches and sectors in implementing prevention and control./.