Epidemiology of Plasmodium vivax malaria in Central Vietnam

Despite the success of malaria control programe in the past decade, malaria remains an important public health problem in Vietnam. A challenge faced by the National Malaria Control and Elimination Programme is the ability to target and eliminate the remaining parasite reservoir in endemic areas The cross-sectional and longitudinal studies was caried out in malaria endemic area in Central, Vietnam and both of them combined PCR and LM for malaria parasite detection methodes. The results of cross-sectional study confirmed the high malaria parasite reservoir detection due to PCR alone and asymptomatic with LM malaria parasite positive with two malaria parasite species contribution to malaria burden in study area which included Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium viviax. The longgitudinal study followed up P.vivax infected patients for two years and within first month there were three P.vivax cases ware confirmed resistance Chloroquine. After ward, the high number of P.vivax recurrences with submicroscopic and asymptomatic infection were recoded despire the higdose of PQ treatement with direct observation of study team. To over come asymptomatic and sub-patent reservoir calls for an immediate combination of molecular and LM detecting malaria hotpots for targeted interventions. P.vivax resistance CQ and high morbidity of P.vivax recurrences after PQ treatment are alarmed to NMCP changing treatment policy to new drugs with high effectiveneess and short course.