Cuban Official โคAcknowledges Discrepancies in Dengue and Chikungunya Reporting
Francisco Durรกn, a leading epidemiologist in Cuba, has โpublicly acknowledged that official figures regarding dengue and chikungunya cases may not fully โฃrepresent the reality of the outbreaks currently affecting the country. The admissions cameโ during a recent report on the epidemiological situation, as reported on November 7th and 18th โby CiberCuba.
Whileโ maintaining nationwide testing and surveillance, โขDurรกn attempted toโค contextualize the situation by โคstating that Oropouche “is no longer the main health problem,” due to the increasing prevalence of โคchikungunya.โฃ He reported anโ Aedes aegypti โคmosquito infestation rate of 0.70%, which he characterized as โ”high” and indicative of “important possibilities of transmission.”
Despite ongoing fumigation and abatement campaigns,Durรกn conceded โthat these efforts “remain insufficient.” โHe revealed that 79% of planned actions were completed, with โข223โค teams failingโฃ toโค operate, 163 โdue to personnel โคshortages. Insecticide treatments were not carried out in the provinces of Pinarโฃ delโข Rรญo, Artemisa, Matanzas and sancti Spรญritus due to equipment breakdowns and resourceโ scarcity.
Durรกn statedโ that 3,703 hospital beds are available forโ chikungunyaโข patients nationwide, andโ assured that “there are noโฃ patients who requireโ admission andโ cannot be hospitalized.” admissions areโข being prioritized for children and individuals โwithโ pre-existing health conditions, โคwith others advised to remainโ under home โคobservation. However, โฃthe โคreportโฃ notesโ that this โฃstatement doesn’t address the widespread shortage of medicines in hospitals, aโ key reason why many Cubansโ are opting to manage their illness atโ home.
The epidemiologist also acknowledged the “despair” felt by many Cubansโ experiencingโข intense pain and delays in receiving adequate medical attention. He recounted an encounter โwith a patient at a Havana polyclinic who “saying thatโ she was โขdying of discomfort,” illustrating the โขsuffering caused by โขthe disease. Despite recognizing this distress, โDurรกn urgedโ the population to remain calm, admitting it was “arduous to give peace of mind to someone whoโฃ is suffering from such pain.”
Durรกn also denied theโฃ presence ofโ West nile virus in Cuba, stating that โtheโ Institute of Tropical Medicineโค “has not diagnosed โขany cases” after conducting numerous tests, while acknowledging โthe circulationโ of other arboviruses on the โคisland.
This public recognition of discrepancies in reported figures is considered unusual โgivenโค the Cuban government’s historical tendency โto minimize or disguise epidemiological outbreaks. Durรกn’s admissions corroborate reports from doctors and citizens on social media detailing a worsening health โcrisis and a health system lacking the necessary resources to effectively combat the rapidly expanding epidemic.
Reports indicate that despite appeals for “self-care” from โthe Ministryโ of Publicโฃ Health (MINSAP), the population isโฃ facingโ a lack of medicines, inadequate fumigation efforts, and overwhelmed hospitals, with polyclinics experiencing saturation and โlong wait times.Many patients are reportedly choosing home treatment due to aโฃ lack โฃof available care.
