Since last November, health authorities in Cape Verde have reported around 2,000 cases of dengue across six of the country’s nine inhabited islands.
The island of Santiago, particularly its capital, Praia, has seen the highest number of cases, with over 1,300 reported. Additionally, evidence of disease transmission has emerged on the islands of Maio, Fogo, Brava, and Boa Vista, according to Angela Gomes, the national director of health, who addressed the media after a meeting with health officials from across the nation in Praia.
“Since mid-November of last year, we began receiving reports of dengue cases from the southern islands, starting with the city of Praia, especially in the northern districts,” stated Antonio Moreira, the coordinator of the dengue control program.
Following the initial reports in Praia, which has become the outbreak’s epicenter with approximately 30 to 40 cases, the epidemic spread to the island of Fogo, particularly within the municipality of São Filipe, before extending to Mosteiros, he specified.
To curb the further spread of the disease, the Ministry of Health has developed an emergency plan that includes training health workers and educating the public on strategies to combat and prevent the emergence of dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
