PAHO Launches Workshop for the Clinical Management of Dengue

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) started a workshop to train doctors in the clinical management of dengue. The participants of this program also will study the most critical key indicators of dengue morbidity, the role of hospitals and mortalities from this disease.

Dengue is a disease caused by the dengue virus, which is transmitted by the bite of female mosquitoes of the species Ae. aegypti and Ae. Albopictus, explains the Ministry of Health. There are over 390 million dengue infections per year globally but deaths by this disease are fully preventable, said Olivier Ronveaux, Dominican Republic Representative, PAHO. 

“Vector control is important to prevent dengue transmission, but equally important is the preparation of health systems to adequately care for the sick and prevent their death. The aim should be to avoid epidemics, but if they do occur, it is important to ensure that there are no deaths,” said Ronveaux. The quality hospital attention is critical to prevent fatalities. “The reduction of dengue mortality depends mainly on the quality of medical care and the population's timely access to this care, which, while being curative, must also have preventive and promotional functions, especially through health education,” he added. 

In Mexico, dengue is a major public health problem, with 1,436 confirmed cases by the 24th week of 2022 and with a total of five deaths. This problem is concentrated in the country’s coastal regions, with 72 percent cases occurring in Tabasco, Chiapas, Veracruz and Sinaloa, according to the Dengue Epidemiological Outlook report published by the Mexican Ministry of Health.