In the 12th International “Professor Gustavo Kouri in Memoriam” Course on Dengue, that took place in Havana and brought together specialists and academics from some 30 nations, Dr. Jose Luis Di Fabio, representative of the Pan-American and World Health Organization ( PAHO-WHO) in Cuba described the fight against dengue in the island as excellent.

The expert of that international organization of the United Nations, acknowledged the work carried out by the Pedro Kouri Tropical Medicine Institute (IPK), a center collaborating with PAHO-WHO for studies on dengue and its vector and tropical diseases.

Dr. Di Fabio stressed that Cuba has achieved a reduction in the number of dead to a high degree and has a comprehensive system in the community including the fight against the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the transmitting agent; monitoring, diagnosis and clinical control of the dengue cases.

Di Fabio affirmed that unlike other countries, dengue in Cuba is not an endemic disease, since it comes from abroad, and he highlighted that the most important thing in this case is the primary health care, in which dengue cases are diagnosed to receive medical treatment and thus avoiding dangerous consequences.

The treatment guidelines developed in Cuba are an example for other nations in the region; hence the importance of our country as the venue of this international course.

Dr. María Guadalupe Guzmán, director of the Pedro Kouri Tropical Medicine Institute, described the epidemiological situation prevailing in Cuba in the high risk months of June and July as stable.

She acknowledged this period of time as the best one over the last five years. During these months the country has not been hit by any epidemic, and is passing through to a healthy summer.

Dr. Guzman praised the information campaign on indispensable sanitary measures over recent months carried out in the country, and also called for support in the battle against the Aedes aegypti, the transmitting agent of many diseases.

A translation by: Silke Paez Carr

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