The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) warned this Tuesday of the possible increase in the region of the risk of death from diseases transmitted by mosquitoes amid the confrontation with Covid-19, due to the limited response capacity of the health services .
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The Director of PAHO, Carissa Etienne, said that mosquitoes and the pathogens they transmit continue to circulate, and in the absence of tests or treatment, cases could go from being treatable to causing death.
He stressed that in some countries dengue, malaria and many tropical diseases “have a disproportionate impact on poor and vulnerable populations,” including indigenous communities, severely affected by Covid-19.
“Diseases spread by mosquitoes are widespread in our Region. And since our collective ability to monitor viruses and pathogens has also been impacted by the pandemic, we are also concerned about ⚠️ falling behind on these diseases.” @DirOPSPAHO #COVID19 https://t.co/lv4UFzUZAX
– PAHO / WHO (@pahowho)
August 11, 2020
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In January and February, the American continent reported an increase of 139 percent in dengue cases compared to the same period in 2019, according to PAHO, but they decreased in March, coinciding with the outbreak of the new coronavirus in the region.
In general, the notification of diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, including malaria, “has dropped more than 40 percent, and a reduction in the number of people who are tested has been observed,” said the official.
“In the first two months of 2020 the Americas reported a 1️⃣3️⃣9️⃣% increase in dengue cases when compared to the same period in 2019. However, since #COVID19 hit our region in March, reported cases of dengue fever have actually ⬇️ fallen.” @DirOPSPAHO
– PAHO / WHO (@pahowho)
August 11, 2020
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Etienne warned that robust surveillance is needed if you want to be clear about which diseases affect the population, or you can’t plan services and save lives.
He also regretted the negative impact of Covid-19 in the fight against tropical diseases such as lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis, as the pandemic “interrupted mass drug administration campaigns” against these and others, he said. . “These interruptions are likely to increase infection rates in the coming months,” he warned.
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