Cuba Faces Mounting health Crisis as Dengue,Oropouche,and Chikungunya Spread
Cubaโ is grappling with a โฃsignificant epidemiological crisis,marked by a surgeโ in multiple infectious diseases including โฃdengue,Oropouche,and chikungunya.โ While official acknowledgement has been limited, the situation is causing widespread concern and hardship acrossโ the island.
The havana authorities recently confirmed three deaths attributed to dengue, offering few details โขabout โthe cases. Vice Minister of Public Health, Carilda Peรฑa Garcรญa, stated that nine respiratory viruses are currently circulating in Cuba, alongside โฃincreases in acute diarrheal diseases andโ hepatitis A. Tho,โ no โcomplete data regarding the scale of theseโข outbreaks was provided.
Citizen โขreports paint a more alarmingโข picture. Individuals are increasingly voicing their concerns about the deteriorating health situation, with oneโ Matanzas artist,โฃ Sindyโ San Miguel Fariรฑas, describing debilitating symptoms on social media.
Official data indicates that โdengue and Oropouche are present in at least โ12 provinces, while chikungunya has beenโค detected inโค approximately eight. authorities attribute the rise in cases to the typical increase in mosquito populations during the hot and rainy season. However,many Cubans believe the crisis โคis rooted in systemic โissues,including prolonged power outages,water scarcity โaffecting hygiene,and widespread accumulation โฃof garbage. In Havana alone, over 30,000 cubic metersโฃ of garbage accumulateโค daily, with more than 40% of collection trucks out of service last year โคand a growingโ shortage of workers in the responsible state company, Comunales.
Contributing to the problem are reportedโค shortages of fuel for mosquito fumigation, a lack of diagnostic investigations, and persistent water leaks creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Critically, laboratories are facing a 70% shortage of reagents, hindering accurate diagnoses and leaving โขmany patients unaware of the specific virus they are battling. โA widespread medicine shortage, estimated at 70%, further complicates treatment, leavingโข symptoms largely unaddressed.
Despite the โescalatingโ crisis and reports of overwhelmed hospitals, particularly in Matanzas, the Minister โof Public Health maintains that “the situation is under control,” and assures the public that efforts are underway to save lives. โฃโ In response to the shortages and overwhelmed healthcare system,Cubans are increasingly relying on aid from those in exile to help โฃalleviate the crisis.
