FUNCTIONS AND ASSIGNMENT

Function

The Institute of Malariology, Parasitology, Entomology in HCM City conducts scientific research, vertical guidance of southern provinces, training and refresh training for health personnel in malaria, parasitic and vector-borne diseases and control measures in the provinces of Nam Bo-Lam Dong area.

Assignment

a) Scientific research:

- Doing basic research on germ (epidemiology, parasitology, diagnosis technology, clinical, drugs, treatment), vector of transmission (mosquito species , density, ecological ), drugs, chemicals, products, and measures of malaria, dengue, parasitic diseases control

- Doing research on human, economic, social and environmental factors concerning malaria, parasitic diseases and other vector-borne diseases

- Studying and applying technical advances on diagnosis and treatment malaria, parasitic diseases, dengue, vector-borne diseases

- Studying and applying technical advances on survey, supervision, evaluation vectors of malaria, dengue, and other vector - borne diseases

- Basic research on pathogens (epidemiological, parasitology, diagnostic technique, clinical, drug and treatment…), vector of diseases (composition, density, distribution, physiology, ecology…), drugs, chemicals, preventive measures of malaria, worm infection, dengue, parasitic diseases and other diseases transmitted by insects.

- Research the elements of ecology, people, economy, society, and natural environment associated with malaria, parasitic diseases and diseases transmitted by insects.

- Research and application of scientific and technical advances in epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of malaria, worm infection, dengue, parasitic diseases. Research and application of scientific advances on the investigation, monitoring, evaluation, classification and preventive measure of malaria, worm infection, and other diseases transmitted by vector

b) Vertical guidance

- Assist the Minister of Health in technical management, planning control of malaria, dengue, parasitic diseases, vector-borne diseases in the provinces of Nam Bo-Lam Dong area.

- Vertical guidance, organizing specialty network in control of malaria, parasitic diseases, dengue, and vector-borne diseases in the provinces of Nam Bo-Lam Dong area

- Set up plans, programs, projects for monitoring and evaluating the results of control measures of malaria, parasitic diseases, dengue and vector-borne diseases in specific area.

- Reporting activities according to regulations

c) Training:

- Organize training, and retraining for specialized technical staffs as request of local, individual, organization.

- Participate in specialized training for graduated staffs, post-graduated in training centre as required.

d) Health education and communication:

- Research on content, form, direction and implementation the communication activities of health education to prevent malaria, worm infection, dengue and other diseases transmitted by vector.

e) International cooperation:

- Planning and implementation of cooperation activities with countries, international organizations in country and abroad in scientific research, training, implementing the preventive measures of malaria, worm infection, dengue and diseases transmitted by vector.

f) Providing health service:

- Organize the implementation, supply scientific and technical research and preventive medicine in accordance with functions and assigned tasks:

- Medical care, medical health insurance, immunization, testing, and health consultant services on malaria, parasites and insects.

- Research and manufacture diagnostic test of worm infection, assess the efficacy of malaria drugs, parasitic diseases and tropical diseases transmitted by vector.

- Vector prevention services, manufacturing and selling insecticides products, testing chemicals, insecticides products, and biological products in the field of preventive medicine.

- Training and training as request, scientific and technological services and other services in the field of preventive medicine.

- Implementation of scientific and technical services required by organizations and individuals, transfer, supply technological services in the area and other services.

g) Management:

- Manage and use effectively the resources of the Institute; management of organization, payroll, employees, finance, property and equipment of the Institute as prescribed by law.

- Organization of purchasing, distribution and management the use of drugs, chemicals, supplies and specialized medical equipment for units in the region.

- Implementation the regulations of State on revenues and expenditures under the Institute’s budget on self- control, self - responsibility as prescribed by law.

- Development of scientific and technical services, the international cooperation projects, cooperation with dosmestic and foreign organizations.

Some characteristics of area under the institute’s responsibility

Geographical area, population:

In 2011 Southern area - Lam Dong has 20 provinces, cities, 208 districts and town, 2606 communes, wards and townships; 16,920 villages and hamlets. The area meets ecological element related to malaria circulation, parasitic diseases and insect transmitted diseases. This area has a Central Highlands province, 6 southeastern provinces, 13 provinces in the South - West. Population: 33,093,275 people

Malaria and malaria control:

There are nearly 8.000.000 people living in malaria circulation area (accounting for 22,56% of the population of the region. The population exchange with the malaria nearly 7,000,000 people, so the total population of 8,000,000 people with malaria risk.

Severe malaria circulation area has freedom migrants, most of the provinces of the country, from North, Central- Highlands, eastern and southwest, people from areas of mild malaria or no malaria (Ben Tre, Vinh Long, Soc Trang, Long An, Can Tho,…) to do business plus the population in the district and commune in the province to severe malaria circulation area creates a diversity of malaria epidemiology, the difficulty of monitoring and intervention measures for malaria control in the region and the country. In 2009, malaria parasites resistant to anti-malaria drug was firstly detected in this area and Viet nam was the second country to detect drug - resistant parasites in the world (after Cambodia)

With the major exchanges, diverse and complex, the emergence of drug resistant parasites in the area, the malaria control is difficulty, complex and requiring the prevention of malaria more drastically to make the goal of reducing morbidity and mortality to prevent and eliminate resistant malaria parasite in Viet nam

Regarding helminth preventive

Southern region - Lam Đong has many communities, ethnic groups, each of which has some living practices, labor, livestock and other farming besides sanitation conditions of the tropical area, hot and humid climate with many infectious diseases are in wide circulation, especially the worm infection transmitted through the soil

Although the Institute has not invested fully to meet the need of scientific research, the other operations have not been fully implemented, the extensive team of professional and technical staffs remain constantly in the institute. Department of parasitology is in charge of research work, directing and organizing helminth preventive program in entire area. At the provincial and municipal departments of parasites (in the malaria control centre) or the parasites group of the department of malaria (in the preventive health centre) responsible of malaria parasites, helminth. In districts, communes, there is not specialized system of helminth preventive. Human resources in charge of anti - helminth are limited in quantity, quality, only a small number of qualified staff specialized parasites at central, there has not been professionally - trained at local. Equipment has almost not invested, only some equipment invested through international assistance project. Monitoring operation and helminth prevention in area are not generally implemented fully and systematically, only certain investigative activities, discrete interventions from the meager government investment and international organizations.

The reports of Lam Dong province, Dong Nai province, Binh Phuoc province, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, Tay Ninh province, Ho Chi Minh City, Long An province, Ben Tre province, Vinh Long province, Soc Trang province show that helminth disease transmitted through the soilhas scattered in many areas, the prevalence of hookworm, pinworm the protozoa were high. The tapeworm infection rate was found in Long An, Vinh Long, Soc Trang. Hookworm infection rate is high, especially the Central Highlands and South East regions.

The institute has performed program of helminth prevention in the region, small projects granted WHO and other projects. In 2010,the project “Prevention of helminth for school-age children” in Southern provinces - Lam Đong” of the Institute of Malariology, Parasitology, and Entomology was approved by Ministry of Health, this project is currently piloted in the provincesrepresenting the ecological region in Lam Dong, Tay Ninh, Tp. HCM and Soc Trang

Southern area - Lam Đong and cities, provinces were administrated by institute

Urban centre in Highland

Rubber plantation in South – East area

Waterways in South – West area