VIENTIANE: The government has successfully carried out many activities under its malaria prevention and control programme, especially through the effective diagnosis and treatment of patients in rural communities.
Deputy Minister of Health Dr Phayvanh Keopaseuth.
Malaria prevention and control is a priority of the Ministry of Health, which has been allocated a substantial budget to reduce malaria-carrying mosquito populations.
Over the past year, health officials have focused their efforts on malaria prevention and control, as well as health education campaigns, in at-risk provinces.
Deputy Minister of Health Dr Phayvanh Keopaseuth recently summarised the results of efforts to control and eliminate malaria, parasites and mosquitoes in 2024 and the direction of these activities in 2025, supervised by the Centre of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology.
The meeting compared the results of this work to the indicators and management goals and the priorities to be addressed in 2025.
Participants discussed their efforts to control and eliminate malaria, noting their success in malaria control.
National Strategic Plans have set ambitious targets, aiming for the elimination of Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax malaria from all northern provinces by 2025 and nationwide elimination by 2030.
Malaria control and elimination activities have been implemented at various levels, with a focus on health facility catchment areas.
Laos has made significant progress in reducing malaria transmission throughout the country. Targeted interventions, such as case management, vector control, and community engagement, using stratification of control interventions by catchment areas have contributed to the decline in malaria cases.
In elimination areas, active surveillance strategies, including case and foci investigation, are implemented to identify and stop transmission. The surveillance system has facilitated timely detection and response to malaria cases, enabling these targeted interventions in higher-risk areas.
The malaria surveillance and response system in Laos has played a crucial role in reducing transmission and advancing the country towards elimination. Challenges such as importation, drug resistance, and sustaining support require ongoing efforts.
Further strengthening surveillance, improving access to services, and addressing transmission determinants are key areas of focus to achieve malaria elimination and enhance population health in Laos. - Vientiane Times/ANN
