Peru said on Monday the health emergency in most of its provinces due to the increasing number of dengue cases that occur at a time when temperatures are higher than usual and caused by the El Niño weather pattern. The warning will remain in effect for a period of 90 days.
At least 32 people have died in Peru because of this disease, according to official statistics. The Ministry of Health of the Andean country estimates the number of dengue cases at 31,000, this data doubles the number of cases registered in the same period last year.
“This is a serious problem. And it’s getting out of control,” the health minister admitted last week. Cesar Vasquez, before officially declaring a state of emergency, which will allow the country’s government to more quickly transfer funds to the affected regions and also transport doctors and nurses. It will cover 20 of the country’s 24 provinces, including the regions surrounding the capital Lima.
In 2023, a dengue epidemic tested Peru’s public health system as thousands of people sought emergency services. The disease is transmitted by the mosquito Aedys Egypti Proliferates in hot and humid conditions. Although symptoms are mild in most cases, the disease can cause severe headaches, fever and muscle pain.
At least 18 people died in the last dengue epidemic in Peru. In December, the World Health Organization said that the dengue epidemic in Peru in 2023 was linked to rain and warm temperatures that favored the growth of mosquito populations, especially in the north of the country.
