UK-funded dengue forecasting system introduced in Vietnam

Dengue is transmitted mainly by the aedes aegypti mosquito (Photo: vnexpress.net)

Hanoi (VNA) – The UN
Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organisation () and HR
Wallingford company on March 19 launched a pioneering dengue forecasting system
in Vietnam, hoping to curb the spread of this disease in the country.

The D-MOSS project, funded by the and is led by the HR
Wallingford — a British civil engineering and environmental hydraulics
consultancy, will be implemented in Hanoi and Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak and Dong Nai
provinces during 2019-2021.  It uses a
combination of satellite information, weather forecasting and historical data
on previous outbreaks to create an early warning system for potential dengue
danger zones.

At the launching
ceremony, Kamal Malhotra, UN Resident
Coordinator in Vietnam, described the project as a wonderful initiative which
helps Vietnamese health sector to combat dengue fever’s impacts.

Highlighting the UK’s strength in space technology, UK Ambassador to Vietnam
Gareth Ward expressed his delight to see the Space Agency and its partners
introduce a new tool to help Vietnam predict and respond to the dengue outbreak
in a more precise and effective manner.

The project is a vivid illustration for the UK’s commitment to supporting
Vietnam to realise the UN’s Millennium Goals, he added.

Dengue
fever is a periodic disease in Vietnam. It has close relations to rapid
urbanisation process, environmental pollution, climate change, and poor access
to basic services. In 2017, the country suffered a major outbreak with more
than 170,000 dengue cases.-VNA