Posted on 03 May 2024
Samoa has launched a national cleaning and fumigation campaign to combat a significant outbreak of dengue fever. Since November of the previous year, the country has reported over 200 confirmed cases, predominantly from the main island of Upolu, with additional cases on Savai’i. The government’s response has been swift and decisive, focusing cleaning efforts mainly in the northwest part of Upolu. Schools and hospitals are being targeted for fumigation to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds and curb the spread of the disease. The Ministry of Health has set a two-week timeline to assess the effectiveness of these measures, ready to adapt and implement a new strategy if necessary.
The urgency of the situation has been heightened by the memory of the last dengue outbreak in Samoa, which claimed five lives between 2017 and 2018. Samoa’s Director General of Health, Dr. Alec Ekeroma, has announced a revision of travel guidelines for visitors to Samoa, aiming to prevent further spread.
Source: RNZ
Photo: Sally Sitou / AusAID via Wikimedia