Experts Come Together to Enhance Dengue Prevention Strategies in Vietnam

With the approval of the Vietnam Ministry of Health, The Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), in collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceuticals (Asia Pacific) Pte. Ltd. (“Takeda”) recently held the “Orientations and Solutions to Enhance Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Prevention Effectiveness in Vietnam” Conference. This conference, chaired by Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Thi Lien Huong, MD, PhD, Deputy Minister of Ministry of Health, brings together over 100 delegates, including healthcare professionals from the Vietnam Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control (HCDC), the Pasteur Institute in HCMC, the Children's Hospital 1, and other medical facilities and vaccination centers nationwide.

The peak season of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) in Vietnam often lasts from June to October. At present, the country is facing the ongoing complexity of the development of outbreaks each year post-pandemic, with a rising pressure on Vietnam's healthcare system. As of now, Vietnam has recorded 81,808 cases of dengue fever this year, with 23 fatalities.

At the conference, international and local health experts discussed Vietnam's dengue fever preventive initiatives and methods to improve their effectiveness. They also explored new interventions that could enhance the management of dengue transmission within the country.

The conference hosted presentations on a variety of topics, such as the New Interventions for the Prevention of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever in Vietnam by the Pasteur Institute in HCMC; The Situation of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever in HCMC from 2020 to 2023: Challenges and Solutions by Dr. Le Hong Nga, Vice Director of HCDC; Strengthening the Capacity to Manage Dengue Patients at All Levels in the Health System: A Crucial Factor in Reducing Mortality Rates in Dengue Patients by Associate Professor Nguyen Thanh Hung, Director of the Children's Hospital 1; and the History and Development Pathway for a New Vaccine Intervention to Improve the Effectiveness of Dengue Prevention and Control by Dr. Joseph David Santangelo, Vice President, Technical Development, Vaccine Business Unit, Takeda.

The event also featured a focused roundtable discussion, delving into the current dengue situation in Vietnam, chaired by Associate Professor Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, former Minister of Health, and attended by distinguished panelists, including Dr. Angela Pratt, WHO Representative in Vietnam, Dr. Le Hong Nga from HCDC, Associate Professor Nguyen Thanh Hung from the Children's Hospital 1, and Dr. Joseph Santangelo from Takeda.

According to Associate Professor Nguyen Thanh Hung, Director of the Children’s Hospital 1, Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever still poses a major threat in Vietnam and globally due to its potential to cause a large outbreak and severe health outcomes. The disease is characterized by high fever that lasts several days and can result in serious complications such as hypovolemic shock from plasma loss, gastrointestinal bleeding, cerebral hemorrhage, and multi-organ failure. These complications can rapidly progress and may be fatal if not promptly and intensively treated.

Beyond the health risks, dengue also imposes an economic strain on individuals and communities. It can affect anyone, from newborns to the elderly, but students and working-age individuals are most commonly impacted, leading to missed school or work. Family members may also need to leave their jobs to care for them, and the treatment costs can be relatively substantial to household income.

Moreover, the disease can have long-term psychological effects on patients and communities and significantly impact social security. From a healthcare perspective, the increasing number of dengue patients over the years has put immense pressure on hospitals, leading to a shortage of resources for adequate patient care.

Associate Professor Hung added: “To maintain treatment capacity, medical facilities in Ho Chi Minh City and across the country have effectively implemented the Ministry of Health’s guidelines for diagnosing and treating dengue fever. This includes proper organization of treatment at all the healthcare levels, early detection, correct treatment of dengue patients, strengthening facilities and equipment, and ensuring adequate supplies of infusion fluids. These measures have saved many lives and significantly reduced the mortality rate from dengue fever in our country.”

“However, it is crucial to have close collaboration between treatment and prevention systems. Public awareness campaigns about dengue are essential for effective prevention measures such as mosquito control and vaccination when an effective vaccine becomes available," he emphasized.

Dr. Luong Chan Quang, Acting Head of the Department for Disease Control and Prevention at the Pasteur Institute in HCMC, said: “Dengue fever is very different from other infectious diseases as it poses the entire population at risk, regardless of age. Alongside the current measures which require more proactiveness toward the increasingly challenging environment, it’s crucial to incorporate learnings from dengue control models that employ advanced scientific methods in countries with similar climatic and epidemic conditions as Vietnam, such as Indonesia and Thailand. A stronger, more comprehensive, and sustainable epidemic control model can only be built when the medical community and society work together.”

Hosting this conference in collaboration with the Pasteur Institute in HCMC, Takeda recognizes the importance of partnering with local partners to enhance dengue prevention and control. “As a result of climate change and urbanization, the complex outbreak pattern of dengue fever in Vietnam is making it challenging for experts to predict and plan the best preventative and control mechanisms. So, this conference provided an excellent opportunity to identify the most effective management strategies, including the introduction of a new tool as part of an integrated dengue management and prevention program. We are committed to collaborating with healthcare professionals, medical societies, academia, and government agencies in combating the growing burden of dengue in Vietnam and beyond”, Ms. Katharina Geppert, Country Manager of Takeda in Vietnam, stated.

The experts from the conference alluded to the need for a sustainable and long-term solution to prevent and control dengue fever in the country. This requires not just clinical and preventative methods but also efforts and collaborations from both public and private sectors in combatting dengue, a global public health. This conference is organized in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan.

H.N (Vietnam Business Forum)