三稿（定稿）
National Health and Family Planning Commission Calls for Nationwide Implementation of Measures to Prevent and Control Dengue Fever
2013-09-07 09:59:00 xinhuanet.com
On Sept. 6, 2013, the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NFHPC) announced that recently the number of dengue fever cases in China has significantly increased compared with the same period in 2012. The commission has demanded local health and family planning authorities to put prevention and control measures into practice as well as to carry out publicity and training related to prevention and control. Meanwhile, it called on the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to strengthen technical guidance for the prevention and control of dengue fever.
Dengue fever, spread through the bites of Aedes mosquitoes, is rapid and extensive in transmission once an outbreak occurs. In 2013, the number of dengue fever cases has been several times higher than that of previous years in areas like Southeast Asia, with which China has frequent economic and trade exchanges. Thus, it is a challenging task to prevent the epidemic from entering China. Since July, dengue fever outbreaks have occurred in succession in Guangdong Province and Yunnan Province, while the number of reported cases continues to rise. At present, the dengue fever epidemic has not yet come under full control in some parts of China. Moreover, in the middle of active mosquito season, there is a higher risk for the spread of the epidemic. A notification issued in recent days by NHFPC called for vigilance in affected provinces, ordering that effective countermeasures be swiftly taken in order to guard against the entry and transmission of the epidemic in China.
The notification proposed several requirements for health and family planning departments as follows: the departments concerned should enhance monitoring of dengue fever as well as launch epidemiological surveys and sanitization procedures as soon as possible. In areas where dengue fever cases have been reported, initiative screenings should be conducted. Mosquito control and sanitization of breeding places, in combination with patriotic health campaigns, should be carried out to reduce the risk of local outbreaks. Information exchanges with departments including public security, quality inspection and tourism should be intensified, the priority of which is to be watchful of health conditions of returnees from areas with high levels of dengue fever like Southeast Asia, South America and Africa. These returnees should be reminded to undergo prompt medical procedures for dengue fever detection and treatment at local medical facilities.
The NHFPC emphasized the importance of public awareness campaigns and education in dengue prevention and control for civilians, with a focus on businessmen, workers and tourists who have travelled overseas.. As a result, the public will be better equipped to prevent the spread of the epidemic. Prevention and control training
should be initiated for medical personnel, especially staff in community-level medical facilities, so as to improve diagnoses and treatment of dengue fever.
The NHFPC called for timely nationwide surveillance and analysis of epidemics by the CDC. Once a dengue outbreak in local areas is detected, specialists in related fields should be mobilized to provide field guidance for epidemic control as well as to send feedback of local epidemic conditions and other relevant information.