Cuba to face sanitary epidemiological situation

Jose Angel Portal, deputy minister first of the Ministry of Public Health (Public Health Ministry), explained that this and other preventive actions, give response to the call of Army General Raul Castro, President of the Councils of State and Ministers, to address the current epidemiological situation.

He reiterated that to date in Cuba has not been diagnosed with any case with the virus Zika, but continues to be high risk if preventive measures are not taken to combat the mosquito Aedes family, transmitter of the disease, dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever, eliminated in the country since 1909, but is now a massive outbreak reported in Angola.

He stressed that surveillance continues and all febrile syndromes of dubious origin are analyzed to identify the possible early appearance of Zika.

In the presence of the minister, Dr. Roberto Morales Ojeda, and officials of that agency and other sectors, political and mass organizations, Portal said that in most of the Caribbean there are 55 municipalities with high rates of infestation and transmission and 11 provinces, where the action plan adopted by the Government and the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), with the guidance of the Ministry of Public Health will be strengthened.

He warned that 29 countries currently have active transmission of Zika, and more than 40 nations in the world have been linked to this evil, recently declared by the World Health Organization as a health problem of international scope.

So far there is no vaccine, nor is there any specific drug, therefore, the main battle is to remove the transmitter vector, he said.

Dengue is a disease of the three the most important in terms of morbidity and mortality, is endemic in 128 countries and 2015 more than two million cases were reported in the Americas, warned the deputy minister.

According to experts, the action plan includes four cycles of adulticide treatment intradomiciliary intensive, with an interval of six days in all homes and premises of the 55 priority areas of the country, as well as develops the adulticide treatment extradomiciliary in the areas of greatest risk.

It stresses the importance of complying with the measures established in vector control to develop the campaign effectively, and in the cases fraud, violations of health standards or epidemiological measures are breached committed, it will proceed to implement legislation current with the required severity.
Most importantly, he said the first deputy minister of Public Health, is the risk perception and awareness that every Cuban has the benefit of your health and that of all the people.

Translated by: Daysi Olano Fernandez