Project Activities

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E-DENGUE Project Consultation Workshop: Early Prediction Model for Dengue Prevention in the Mekong Delta Region

September 10th, 2024 — Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

On September 10th, 2024, the User-Friendly Digital Predictor Tool for Dengue Prevention (E-DENGUE) Project held a consultation workshop in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Hosted by the University of Queensland, Australia, the event focused on discussing the selection of early prediction models to forecast dengue risk in the Mekong Delta Region of Vietnam.

Figure: Experts discussing model selection.

Experts from the University of Queensland and Yale University presented advanced modeling techniques capable of predicting dengue outbreaks up to three months in advance. Their ensemble approaches and model outcomes sparked detailed discussions among participants, which included statistical and disease modeling specialists, as well as dengue prevention experts. Representatives from various health organizations in Vietnam, such as the Vietnam National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, the General Department of Preventive Medicine, and the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City, also took part, along with delegates from the World Health Organization (WHO), Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, and Vietnamese medical universities.

One of the key insights shared during the workshop was the need to integrate both statistical and mechanistic models to account for factors like immunity, population mobility, and local epidemiological trends. Additionally, discussions explored the application of different epidemic thresholds to better identify potential outbreaks.

Beyond the technical aspects of the models, the workshop also addressed the need for a user-friendly and practical software dashboard tailored to the requirements of local stakeholders. Future plans include discussions on intervention strategies and conducting thorough needs assessments over the coming years.

This workshop marked a significant step in refining prediction models to ensure accurate dengue risk forecasting three months in advance at the district level. For further details on the project’s activities, please visit the official E-DENGUE website at http://edengue.com.

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E-Dengue project in action: A comprehensive needs assessment to facilitate the effective use of digital tools for dengue prevention and control in Vietnam

CORDIA CHU AND TUAN PHAM

Addressing escalating dengue outbreaks, a global health threat

Exacerbated by climate change, dengue fever is spreading across the Indo-Pacific Region, creating escalating health risks.  This, in turn, is leading to pressing demands for novel strategies to both prevent and forecast dengue outbreaks. The Centre for Environment and Population Health (CEPH) at Griffith University is collaborating with multi-country research teams, to launch the E-Dengue project. This initiative aims to address the challenges posed by dengue transmission through innovative approaches in prevention and prediction.

With AUD $8,445,649 funding for a five-year grant from the Wellcome Trust, the E-Dengue project aims to develop a user-friendly digital prediction tool to enhance dengue prevention in Vietnam’s Mekong River Delta. The collaborative project was inaugurated in Hanoi by Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Health in October, 2023.

Professor Cordia Chu AM and Dr Tuan Pham. (Photo supplied)

A complex, stage-wise translational research project is underway

Under the leadership of Dr Dung Phung from University of Queensland (UQ) and an affiliated member of CEPH, this project consists of four programs: predictive modelling, user-centered design, proactive intervention, and community needs assessment and engagement. Program 1 develops climate-informed models to predict dengue fever outbreaks. Program 2 designs user-friendly interfaces for the early warning system. Program 3 implements interventions based on prediction data to mitigate dengue fever. Program 4 conducts a needs assessment to enhance communication and ensure tools meet end-users’ requirements.

The Program 4 is led by Griffith’s Prof Cordia Chu, Director of CEPH, and supported by Dr Hai Phung and a PhD student Thu Nguyen. They have adopted a Comprehensive Needs Assessment model, gathering insights from multiple perspectives with a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods.

The Griffith Team welcomes Dr Tuan Pham, a recently appointed Research Fellow, who brings valuable experience from five years of work in global health security in Vietnam. Pham will play a pivotal role in coordinating Program 4 and foster connections with other programs under the E-Dengue project and the healthcare sector in Vietnam.

A field trip to the Mekong Delta Region for a community needs assessment. (Photo supplied)

On 28 February, 2024, Program 4 held a stakeholder engagement workshop in Can Tho, Vietnam, bringing together key stakeholders from Vietnam’s health sector. Through discussions and field visits to the Mekong Delta Region, we co-designed the workplan, mapped our stakeholders’ intervention needs, and received valuable insights for developing the tool’s dashboard. The stakeholder engagement workshop was highly productive, encouraging collaboration and continuous improvement.

Stakeholder engagement workshop in Can Tho, Vietnam. (Photo supplied)

What’s next?

Looking ahead, the CEPH Team is gearing up for a busy year working on Program 4. We will conduct fieldwork, and host consultation workshops and stakeholder interviews, to gather inputs to shape the development of user-friendly digital tools tailored to the needs of end-users. We will also host virtual knowledge-sharing seminars to exchange experience and insights with researchers and coordinators from other dengue prevention programs in affected countries around the world, with the initial focus on the Southeast Asian Region.

Overall, the E-Dengue project aims to enhance the effective use of digital tools for dengue prevention and control in Vietnam, fostering innovation and collaborative partnerships. The success of this endeavor should have significant implications for advancing future prevention and control measures for climate-sensitive infectious diseases.

Sourced from Griffith Asia Institute – Published on June 4th 2024 – Available at https://blogs.griffith.edu.au/asiainsights/e-dengue-project-in-action-a-comprehensive-needs-assessment-to-facilitate-the-effective-use-of-digital-tools-for-dengue-prevention-and-control-in-vietnam/

For more information about the E-Dengue project, visit their website at https://edengue.com/wp/.

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Press Release

LAUNCHING EVENT

PROJECT “A USER-FRIENDLY DIGITAL PREDICTION TOOL FOR DENGUE PREVENTION IN VIETNAM” (E-DENGUE PROJECT)

HANOI, October 6, 2023 – Today, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE), Vietnam Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, hosted the launch event for the project “A user-friendly digital prediction tool for dengue prevention” (the E-DENGUE Project).

In Vietnam, Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a significant public health issue, with annual case numbers ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. The Mekong Delta region experiences a high incidence of dengue cases and has dengue outbreaks annually leading to significant public health problems and related economic burdens. To date, current dengue surveillance, monitoring, and control measures are mostly reactive due to the absence of an early warning system, thus limiting the implementation of proactive dengue outbreak prevention and control at the community level. To address this issue, UQ has received funding from Wellcome to support the NIHE in conducting the E-DENGUE project to create an effective early warning digital tool for dengue prevention in the Mekong Delta Region. This project was approved by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health under Decision No. 2437/QD-BYT dated June 8, 2023. The project has technical support from multidisciplinary scientists from multiple universities and institutions from Australia, the United States, Japan, and Vietnam. The project aims to develop a user-friendly digital early warning tool that can accurately predict dengue outbreaks at the district and commune level two months in advance in the Mekong Delta Region. This tool will encompass integrated software accessible on both computers and smartphones which can be usable for the local health departments to proactively plan and deploy dengue preventive and control measures in high-risk districts/communes in the 13 provinces in the Mekong Delta region, including Long An, Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, Dong Thap, An Giang, Kien Giang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau and Can Tho.

To officially implement this project in Vietnam, NIHE collaborating with the UQ to launch the project at NIHE, Hanoi. The event was honored by the executive leaders of the Vietnam Ministry of Health, the Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor and President of the UQ, the Australian Deputy Head of Mission to Vietnam, and the E-DENGUE project members. Representatives from collaborating institutions and delegates from the Provincial Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of all 13 provinces of the Mekong Delta Region also attended the event to support the project implementation.

At the workshop, Deputy Minister of Health, Associate Professor Nguyen Thi Lien Huong, delivered the opening remark, stating, “As a country where dengue hemorrhagic fever is endemic in most provinces and cities nationwide, Vietnam recognizes the importance of scientific advancements and international collaboration in dengue prevention. This effort not only improves the health of the Vietnamese community but also contributes to ensuring regional health, well-being, and safety. This project will contribute to strengthening proactive dengue prevention measures, towards a safer world, a region, a country, and Mekong Delta Region, as well as promote population health and well-being.”

Professor Deborah Terry AO, Vice-Chancellor and President of UQ expressed the commitment of the UQ to global cooperation, including its deep partnership with Vietnam, and highly appreciated the cooperation between the UQ and the NIHE in developing and implementing this important project. In the workshop, Mr. Mark Tattersall, Australia’s Deputy Head of Mission in Vietnam, appreciated the cooperation in the healthcare sector between the Australian and Vietnamese governments in recent years. He expressed gratitude to the leadership of the Ministry of Health and the senior leadership team of the UQ, as well as thanked the scientific researchers who have been instrumental in advancing the E-DENGUE project.

The success of the E-DENGUE project will provide an effective early warning system that can empower decision-makers and communities to scale up prevention and preparedness interventions and redirect resources for outbreak responses. Its success has the potential to extend to regions across the nation and neighboring countries, and internationally.

For additional information, please contact:

Dr. Vu Trong Duoc,

Deputy Head of the Department of Medical Entomology and Zoonosis

National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology

No. 1 Yersin, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi

Tel: 0973913118

Email: vtd@nihe.org.vn

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E-DENGUE Project Officially Kicked Off:  A Milestone in Dengue Prevention

kickoff meeting

The User-Friendly Digital Predictor Tool for Dengue Prevention (E-DENGUE) Project had its official kick-off through an online meeting on September 15th, 2023, hosted by the University of Queensland, Australia.

Led by Dr Dung Phung from the University of Queensland and funded by the Wellcome Trust, the E-DENGUE project is an important initiative that seeks to establish a digital early warning system to help Vietnam local communities and health centres to control outbreaks of the mosquito-borne disease in the Mekong Delta Region of Vietnam.

The kick-off meeting saw a broad spectrum of experts, including members of the project’s steering committee, technical advisors, and researchers from various institutions worldwide. These included Griffith University, Southern Cross University, Australia National University, Yale University, the University of Tsukuba, the Vietnam National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE), the Vietnam General Department of Preventive Medicine (GDPM), and the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City.

The meeting agenda covered a brief introduction, an update on project themes and members, upcoming activities, and strategic discussions on the way forward. Representatives from all partnering institutions emphasized the monumental significance of the E-DENGUE project. They expressed their unwavering commitment and enthusiastic support for the project.