Cuba Faces Escalating chikungunya Outbreak Amidst Health System Strain
Havana,Cuba – A rapidly spreading chikungunya outbreak is overwhelming Cuba’s already struggling healthcare system,prompting citizen outcry and demands for goverment action. Activists are organizing a letter to authorities,seeking “urgent and transparent actions to protect our people and avoid further human losses,” to be delivered next wednesday.
Official figures from the Ministry of Public Health report over 20,000 infections nationwide, a number widely believed to be considerably underestimated - potentially doubled or tripled – as reports of severe cases and deaths continue to rise. The situation is particularly dire in Havana, where hospitals are overflowing and access to diagnosis and treatment is proving tough.
In Sancti Spíritus, hospitals are reportedly collapsing under the strain, with families experiencing multiple infections within the same household and facing shortages of medication and repellents. The outbreak has also impacted educational institutions, with eight deaths recently reported at the Universidad de Oriente, sparking public alarm. Students claim a lack of preventative fumigation preceded the fatalities, with health brigades only activated after the deaths occurred.
Concerns are mounting over inequitable access to preventative measures, with citizens reporting demands for payment before receiving fumigation services – a practice that violates equal access to public health initiatives.
Those afflicted describe debilitating symptoms,including prolonged fever,inflammation,loss of appetite,and severe,persistent joint pain. A Cuban writer recently characterized the symptoms as “unbearable.”
The activist-led letter emphasizes that the demand for answers and solutions is a citizen’s right, not a political statement. Individuals wishing to support the effort are invited to sign with their first and last names. The crisis underscores the structural challenges facing Cuba’s public health system and the urgent need for a thorough response.