Outbreak of dengue raises concern in Caribbean, CARPHA demands strategic actions

St Vincent and the Grenadines: The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) urged member states to take immediate action with a vision to curb the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.

This appeal has been made by the CARPHA following the rising cases of the diseases such as dengue, Zika and chikungunya in the Caribbean region. Recently, Trinidad and Tobago reported around 509 cases of dengue, which has become a huge cause of concern for the country.

Therefore, CARPHA gave a critical reminder to all the Caribbean countries and asked for the call to action in order to prevent from ongoing threat posed by mosquito-borne disease in the Caribbean.

While shedding light on the surge in mosquito disease, the CARPHA highlighted the role of climate change. They added that the change in the climatic conditions is one of the significant drivers of the increasing spread of mosquito-borne disease. For the same, the authorities at the CARPHA have emphasized the need for the member states to take crucial measures in order to protect themselves from the negative impact of climate change in their public health strategies.

They have also shared recommendations for the member states to follow and utilize in order to combat the spread of disease. The management asserted that it is necessary for the member states to strengthen their disease surveillance system in order to quickly identify and respond to outbreaks.

They also shed light on the launching of public awareness campaigns. They stated that these campaigns are very crucial in order to educate communities about the importance of mosquito control and prevention measures. They highlighted the importance of vector control and stated the member states need to implement integrated vector management strategies which includes, the use of insecticides and biological control methods to stop the outbreak of mosquito-borne disease.

The CARPHA asked the residents to not delay in implementing control measures. They stated any kind of delays can lead to rapid increase in the transmission of disease, poor healthcare system which can also cause significant economic and social disruption.