HCM City (VNA) - Ho Chi MinhCity will expand the use of geographic information system (GIS) technology thisyear for surveillance of infectious diseases, such as hand-foot-mouth,throughout the city after successfully piloting it for dengue fever, deputydirector of the city’s Preventive Medicine Centre, told Viet Nam News.

Last year, the city recorded nearly 5,000 patients with hand-foot-mouthdisease, according to the preventive medicine centre.

“This IT application, especially the GIS technology, was one of the methodswhich the city applied last year to help reduce new dengue fever incidences,” Hungadded.

According to the city’s Preventive Medicine Centre, the city last year reportedmore than 19,500 cases of dengue fever, dropping from 22,099 in 2016. Lastyear, six people died due to the disease while five died in 2016.

The city saw a decrease in new incidents of the Zika virus infection, which istransmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, with only 21 cases last year while it reported190 in 2016.

Of the 21 Zika patients, 13 were pregnant women.

Dr Nguyen Tri Dung, the centre’s head, said that the centre last year used GIStechnology to collect information on dengue fever patients, to monitoroutbreaks and track the spread of diseases on a digital map of the city’s wardsand communes, and to respond effectively to disease outbreaks.

The city had 20,844 dengue-fever high risk areas listed and monitored, Dung said,adding that 80 per cent of them were under periodic surveillance.

Hung said that 16 districts have imposed strict fines for individuals, householdsand organisations which failed to obey regulations on preventive methodsagainst dengue fever, including allowing water containers with mosquito larvae.

“Last year, the city issued the highest number of fines, with 400, an increaseof 257 fines in 2016,” Hung added.

He said that the Department of Health will continue to sign join agreementswith other departments in the city to cooperate for the regular prevention andsurveillance of diseases.

“Moreover, it will equip districts with more spraying machines and otherequipment. More training courses for health officials will be opened. Becauseit is difficult to forecast disease development, we should take the initiativein prevention,” Hung said. - VNA