On Monday, Peru’s government declared a health emergency in 20 of its 24 regions to combat a recent spike in dengue fever cases.
Alberto Otárola, leading the Council of Ministers, made this announcement after cabinet discussions.
The emergency will start on Tuesday, following a supreme decree, and will last 90 days.
Otárola explained, “We are tackling the dengue fever outbreak with careful medical strategies.”
He mentioned that the Health Ministry has sent infectious disease experts to the impacted areas.
Health Minister Cesar Vásquez detailed that Peru has recorded 31,364 dengue cases so far, with 17,965 confirmed and 32 deaths. An additional eight deaths are under review.
Vásquez highlighted a plan for 2024 to fight dengue, budgeted at about 108 million soles (28 million dollars), with 91 million soles (23 million dollars) already in use since January.
This strategy seeks to strengthen vector control efforts, especially targeting larval stages in the most affected regions.
Vásquez pointed out the critical need for more technical support and resources to fight the outbreak, noting a 95 percent increase in dengue-related deaths compared to last year.
Furthermore, Vásquez called on the public to cooperate with health officials.
He stressed the importance of allowing home fumigations and participating in vector and larval control to stop the disease’s spread.