Peru declares a public health emergency due to the dengue outbreak

He declared the Peruvian government starting this Tuesday There is a public health emergency in 20 of its 25 regions due to a severe dengue outbreakreported the chief of staff.

“Tomorrow, 20 regions of the country will be declared a health emergency for a period of 90 days due to (cases of) dengue fever,” Council of Ministers President Alberto Otárola had announced on Monday.

According to the Ministry of Health, 31,364 cases and 32 deaths due to this endemic disease were reported between January and February, compared to 12,264 cases and 18 deaths in the same period in 2023. According to the Ministry of Health, 31,364 cases and 32 deaths due to this endemic disease were reported between January and February, compared to 12,264 cases and 18 deaths in the same period in 2023.

Dengue fever is a disease endemic to tropical areas that causes high fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain and, in the most severe cases, bleeding, which can lead to death.

He The health emergency allows authorities to allocate a larger budget to combat the diseaseamong other things.

Health Minister César Vásquez said at a press conference on Monday that the situation in Peru was not as serious as in other countries in the region.

“If you compare the death rates, we are not the country with the highest death rate. There are countries like Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay that are in a more complex situation than ours,” Vásquez said.

More than 395,000 cases of dengue were recorded in Brazil between January and February, according to the country’s Ministry of Health.

According to the Peruvian government, the high temperatures caused by the El Niño climate phenomenon are causing the larvae of the dengue fever mosquito to multiply more frequently.

The phenomenon “has created a perfect panorama for the spread of this disease,” said Minister Vásquez.

On February 20, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reiterated its call for countries in the region to intensify their efforts and measures to combat the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the main vector of dengue fever.

In 2023, Peru recorded its worst dengue death toll in four decades, as the disease killed 445 people and caused more than 270,000 infections.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were more than 5.5 million cases and 5,000 deaths worldwide in 2023. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were more than 5.5 million cases and 5,000 deaths worldwide in 2023.

Brazil accounted for 68% of cases in the Americas this year. AFP