Ha Noi, August 9^th 2016

On 9 August 2016, IOM Viet Nam, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), released the findings of a study examining the link between population mobility and malaria vulnerability in Binh Phuoc Province in southwest Viet Nam.

The study provides an in-depth analysis of malaria vulnerability among migrant and mobile populations in communes that have the most incidents of malaria and mobility, including internal migration.

The communities that were selected as the most vulnerable to malaria are located in remote areas along Viet Nam’s border with Cambodia, and belong to the economically disadvantaged province of Binh Phuoc.

The area attracts significant numbers of migrants, including people who travel from northern Viet Nam to live and work in the area.

The study reveals that migrants were at greater risk than non-migrants of contracting malaria, as they were more likely to be exposed to mosquitos. Many migrants live in temporary shelters in forested areas and work in high-risk occupations such as cassava and cashew nut harvesting.

Over 50 percent of migrants lived over 10 kms from a healthcare center and migrants were three times less aware of malaria symptoms than non-migrants.

Among migrant and non-migrant populations, men were at a higher risk of contracting malaria than women. But women were less likely to complete the full course of treatment prescribed after contracting malaria.

Ethnic minority migrants waited longer before seeking treatment (17 percent waited four days or more, compared to only 2 percent in the ethnic majority Kinh group), which increased the danger to which they were exposed.

Funded by the IOM Development Fund (IDF), the study highlights how access to malaria-prevention services is a significant issue for Binh Phuoc’s migrant population.

Whereas 90 percent of the permanent resident population had insecticide-treated bed nets provided through the national malaria-control programme, only 54 percent of the unregistered population had received such nets.

Malaria is the fifth leading cause of death worldwide among communicable diseases, impacting 95 countries, including Viet Nam. Although 12.6 percent of the Vietnamese population lives in at-risk areas, considerable progress has been made towards reducing malaria over recent decades.

“This study underlines the need for urgent action. For poor communities in Binh Phuoc Province, the window of opportunity to contain and eliminate malaria will close fast if specific strategies in place to address malaria vulnerability among mobile and migrant populations are not implemented soon,” said IOM Viet Nam Chief of Mission David Knight.

And there are other worrying trends: slower progress in reducing malaria-related admissions, and deaths, in 2013 and 2014. Also of concern is the increasing level of resistance to artemisinin, a key drug for combatting malaria.

The launch of the report coincided with a workshop today (9/8) in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi hosted by the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology, IOM and WHO.

“Information and Experience Sharing on Recent Malaria Programming and Research Targeting Mobile and Migrant Population” will offer national and international experts an opportunity to discuss progress in malaria research and programming in Viet Nam and the region, with a focus on responding to the specific needs of migrants and mobile populations.

To download the report please go to:

The study provides an in-depth analysis of malaria vulnerability among migrant and mobile populations in communes that have the most incidents of malaria and mobility, including internal migration.

The target communities are economically disadvantaged, located in remote and mountainous areas along Viet Nam’s border with Cambodia.

To download the report, please go to: 

• English version: https://publications.iom.int/books/migration-mobility-and-malaria-study-...
• Vietnamese version: https://publications.iom.int/books/migration-mobility-and-malaria-study-...

For further information, please contact IOM Vietnam. David Knight, Tel: +844 3850-1810, Email: dknight@iom.int. Or Thi Ngoc Thu Tran, Tel: + 84 918 733 578, Email: tnthutran@iom.int