(VOVworld) – A meeting responding to the third ASEAN Dengue Fever Day opened in Hanoi on Saturday. The event was co-hosted by the Ministry of Health and the ASEAN Office in Vietnam. On this occasion, a campaign to prevent dengue fever was launched. Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said that dengue fever is present in two thirds of provinces and cities across the country. Long added that Vietnam has 100,000 people suffering from dengue fever with 100 fatalities every year. At an ASEAN dengue fever seminar in Hanoi on Friday, member states approved a call for strengthening epidemic disease supervision, popularizing the disease, and mobilizing people and community to join anti-dengue fever activities. Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said: “I ask the people’s Committees of provinces and cities to spread out sanitary programs to kill mosquito larva throughout the country in response to ASEAN Dengue Day. I ask the localities to consult with the Party and the government at all levels to detect, isolate and deal with epidemic areas to contain the disease and minimize fatalities.”

ASEAN and the World Health Organization have chosen June 15 as ASEAN Dengue Fever Day to raise public awareness of the disease and strengthen cooperation between countries all over the world.