Conclusions
Given the emergence of drug-resistant malaria in the GMS, it is a public health imperative to understand the current local contexts as well as to determine the efficacy of past and present interventions in Vietnam in order to establish a foundation for future guidelines in transmission control and disease prevention. In considering the NMCEP and related policies, this review evaluates the rationale, practice, and impact of the current iteration of the national program on malaria epidemiology, with a focus on the Mekong Delta.
Developed and implemented in accordance with the MME Program, the NMCEP was adopted nationwide in 1991, since when it has achieved numerous beneficial outcomes. For all indicators including incidence rate, confirmed clinical cases, confirmed deaths from malaria, numbers of P. falciparum and P. vivax infections, the data followed a favorable downward trend in all provinces and cities. Established goals and targets of each phase were also achieved with flying colors, indicating that the program was well-adopted and has positive effects. For the Mekong Delta, its results are among the best in the country, implying the profoundly positive impact that the program has made in this historically malaria-endemic region. However, due to the general lack of multi-sided data and detailed reports, it is recommended that further primary research should be conducted to provide a better overview of the situation.
Despite recent notable successes, hindrances persist to disrupt the progression towards malaria elimination in Vietnam and the prevention of the disease’s re-establishment in the Mekong Delta. These obstacles include budgetary issues, organizational problems, and potential for desensitized attitudes of the public towards treatment, control and prevention. Aligning to future strategic directives, additional financial commitment, enhanced education, and better communication channels are all required to accelerate Vietnam’s final push towards achieving malaria elimination. If there is sustained commitment from all relevant stakeholders during the 2020s, this remains a realistic goal to achieve by the WHO target date of 2030.
