The government of Cape Verde has declared a civil protection alert on the islands of Santiago, Fogo, and Brava due to a rise in dengue fever cases.
This decision was made during a Council of Ministers meeting and was announced on Thursday by Janine Lélis, the Minister of State and Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.
The alert was issued in response to the potential increase in dengue cases following recent heavy rains. Dengue is a viral disease transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, particularly Aedes aegypti (also known as yellow fever mosquito) and Aedes albopictus.
According to Lélis, Cape Verde’s government’s first preventive measure is to create a multisectoral task force to support health services and implement an Integrated Emergency Program focused on dengue prevention and vector control.
Resources for these measures will be provided through the National Emergency Fund, with the alert expected to last three months, Lélis said. He added that the alert period may be extended.
Since November 2023, when the first dengue case was reported in the West African country, over 2,200 cases have been confirmed, with the majority occurring on Santiago Island, particularly in Praia. Currently, the government is holding awareness campaigns, anti-vector control measures, and indoor spraying to eliminate mosquitoes carrying the virus.
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