The federal government announced, this Wednesday 18th, a national plan to combat dengue and other arboviruses, such as chikungunya, Zika and febre Oropouche. The plan foresees an investment of around 1.5 billion reais.
The actions will be under the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and are intended to reduce probable cases of disease, in addition to deaths. To this end, a national mobilization is planned that involves not only the federal government, but states, municipalities, civil society and health workers.
The proposal envisages introducing within the scope of the Unified Health System (SUS)new vector control technologies in municipalities, preparing the health care network to deal with cases and guaranteeing the supply of necessary inputs.
The plan is structured into six action fronts:
- prevention;
- surveillance;
- vector control;
- organization of the assistance network;
- emergency preparedness and responses;
- and communication and community participation.
During the presentation of the proposal, the Minister of Health, Nisia Trindadehighlighted the country’s challenges, especially in mitigating dengue cases.
“We had 6.5 million probable cases of the disease in 2024, a three-fold increase in what occurred in 2023”, highlighted the minister, emphasizing the urgency of short-term actions. “One of the biggest problems we face is that not all states and municipalities know how to take care of these diseases,” he added, informing that the plan provides for support committees for state and municipal managers.
The president Lula (PT) reinforced that the challenge is not just for the health sector, but for society as a whole. “Health will do its part, but we need to take joint responsibility”, he declared. “Mosquitoes are in each of our homes, not just in the homes of the poor, they are also in the homes of those who have better purchasing power, those who have an abandoned swimming pool, a vase with pooled water, or a car tire with water in it. What we want is to convey the idea that each Brazilian city is its own doctor in the fight against dengue,” he said, reinforcing care that can be taken in each home.
“We want to have the summer with the least dengue in the history of this country”, concluded the president, while also reinforcing the need for the campaign to be broadcast in the country’s various media outlets.
