The city’s Preventive Medicine Centre last year used GIS technology for disease surveillance (Photo courtesy of the Preventive Medicine Centre)
HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh
City will expand the use of geographic information system (GIS) technology this
year for , such as ,
throughout the city after successfully piloting it for dengue fever, deputy
director of the city’s Preventive Medicine Centre, told Viet Nam News.
Last year, the city recorded nearly 5,000 patients with hand-foot-mouth
disease, according to the preventive medicine centre.
“This IT application, especially the GIS technology, was one of the methods
which the city applied last year to help reduce new dengue fever incidences,” Hung
added.
According to the city’s Preventive Medicine Centre, the city last year reported
more than 19,500 cases of dengue fever, dropping from 22,099 in 2016. Last
year, six people died due to the disease while five died in 2016.
The city saw a decrease in new incidents of the Zika virus infection, which is
transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, with only 21 cases last year while it reported
190 in 2016.
Of the 21 Zika patients, 13 were pregnant women.
Dr Nguyen Tri Dung, the centre’s head, said that the centre last year used GIS
technology to collect information on dengue fever patients, to monitor
outbreaks and track the spread of diseases on a digital map of the city’s wards
and communes, and to respond effectively to disease outbreaks.
The city had 20,844 dengue-fever high risk areas listed and monitored, Dung said,
adding that 80 per cent of them were under periodic surveillance.
Hung said that 16 districts have imposed strict fines for individuals, households
and organisations which failed to obey regulations on preventive methods
against dengue fever, including allowing water containers with mosquito larvae.
“Last year, the city issued the highest number of fines, with 400, an increase
of 257 fines in 2016,” Hung added.
He said that the Department of Health will continue to sign join agreements
with other departments in the city to cooperate for the regular prevention and
surveillance of diseases.
“Moreover, it will equip districts with more spraying machines and other
equipment. More training courses for health officials will be opened. Because
it is difficult to forecast disease development, we should take the initiative
in prevention,” Hung said. – VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
