Santo Domingo.- This Tuesday morning, Minister of Public Health, Víctor Elías Atallah Lajam, reassured the public by stating that the health sector remains calm, as there is no significant overload of dengue cases in the country.
Atallah announced the commencement of the first national dengue day, marking the launch of a preemptive campaign to mitigate the potential outbreak. He emphasized the government’s proactive stance in averting a crisis that could potentially mirror the severe outbreaks experienced in other countries across the Americas.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) had previously issued a warning in March, predicting the worst dengue season in history for the American continent. This alarming prognosis is largely attributed to the global rise in temperatures and extreme weather events.
PAHO Director, Jarbas Barbosa, highlighted the gravity of the situation, citing that last year witnessed 4.5 million dengue cases, with the current year already tallying 3.5 million cases. This surge indicates the likelihood of the worst dengue season on record for the Americas. Barbosa stressed the imperative for countries experiencing heightened transmission rates to intensify preventive efforts to curb the disease’s spread.
During a virtual press conference, Barbosa presented the latest data on dengue, revealing that as of March 16, the American continent had reported over 3.5 million cases and more than 1,000 deaths attributed to the disease.