THE Climate change allows mosquitoes to spread further, faster, causing a Explosion of dengue cases and other arbovirus diseases and forcing the WHO to launch a global control plan to contain them.
"An alarming trend"
“ The rapid spread of dengue and other arbovirus diseases in recent years is an alarming trend that demands a coordinated response. "between sectors and across borders," World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. a statement.
According to the UN organization, the number of dengue cases serious enough to be tested has roughly doubled each year since 2021. In the first eight months of 2024, more than 7,900 deaths have already been reported, for more than 12.3 million cases confirmed or reported to the WHO. This is almost double the 6.5 million cases reported for all of 2023. The cases are likely in the hundreds of millions, but due to lack of testing or symptoms not being recorded.
Between 100 and 400 million infections each year
Dengue fever can cause a high fever and body aches, but most people have no symptoms, and the WHO estimates that there are between 100 and 400 million infections each year. The disease is caused by an arbovirus transmitted by mosquitoes Aedes Aegypti, which are spreading to new geographic areas as the planet warms.
Factors such as unplanned urbanization and poor water, sanitation and hygiene practices, as well as international travel, have also facilitated the rapid spread of the disease. It is already endemic in more than 130 countries, WHO says.
An estimated four billion people worldwide – half the world's population – are currently at risk of contracting dengue fever and other arboviruses, including chikungunya and Zika, and this number is expected to rise to five billion by 2050, the organization warns.
A plan that requires 50 million euros according to the WHO
The WHO plan aims to foster a coordinated global response, including disease surveillance, laboratory activities, vector control, and research and development of better treatments and effective vaccines.
WHO said it will need $55 million (€50 million) in funding to implement the plan over the next year. From maintaining a clean environment to vector control, research and providing timely medical care, everyone has a role to play in the fight against dengue.", insisted Dr. Tedros. This plan is a roadmap to reverse the tide against this and other arbovirus diseases transmitted by Aedes (aegypti), protect vulnerable populations, and pave the way for a healthier future." he added.
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