An extraordinary decision was taken by the government of a Latin American country.
Peru has declared a state of health emergency in most of its provinces due to an increase in dengue fever cases, as well as higher than normal temperatures caused by the natural phenomenon El Niño, the Associated Press reported, cited by BTA.
According to the country’s health ministry, the number of dengue cases reported in the first seven weeks of this year is double that of the same period in 2023. The total number of cases is more than 31,000.
“This is a serious problem,” the country’s health minister, Cesar Vazquez, said last week.
The state of emergency will allow the government to more quickly transfer funds and medical personnel to the affected regions. It will be introduced in 20 of the country’s 24 provinces, including the regions around the capital Lima.
An outbreak of dengue fever last year severely strained Peru’s public health system as thousands of people sought help in emergency rooms.
The disease is spread by mosquitoes of the species Aedes Aegypti, which breed in hot and humid conditions.
Although most cases of dengue fever have mild symptoms, the disease can also cause severe headaches, high fever, and muscle aches.
Last year, as a result of an epidemic of dengue fever in Peru, 18 people died, and in the first two months of this year, 32 Peruvians lost their battle with the virus.
In December, the World Health Organization said Peru’s 2023 dengue outbreak was linked to rainfall and high temperatures at the time, which fueled mosquito populations, particularly in the north of the country.
#major #country #declared #state #emergency
