Cuba: 21 Children and Adolescents Have Died from Chikungunya and Dengue

Cuba: 21 children and adolescents have died from chikungunya and dengue, health authorities reported on Monday. As of Sunday, a total of 33 deaths due to arboviral diseases had been recorded, according to Cuba's Vice Minister of Health, Carilda Peña, during a television appearance.

She specified that out of the 33 deaths, 12 were diagnosed with dengue, including seven minors under the age of 18, while the other 21 fatalities were attributed to chikungunya, among which 14 were minors.

The chikungunya outbreak, characterized by high fever and severe joint pain, began in July in the province of Matanzas, west of Havana. It has since spread to all 15 provinces of the island, where dengue is also present.

Until now, the Ministry of Health had not reported any deaths from chikungunya, although there were strong rumors circulating among the public. Only three dengue-related deaths had been confirmed by authorities.

According to Peña, the number of chikungunya cases has decreased on the island compared to the previous two weeks, as has the number of patients in critical or severe condition.

However, the Vice Minister emphasized that the island, with a population of 9.7 million, still faces significant mosquito infestation levels, which transmit these viruses.

In the past, Cuba has faced severe dengue outbreaks, but chikungunya is a newer disease. It first arrived on the island in 2014 during a regional epidemic that affected countries including Brazil, Colombia, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.

At that time, health authorities managed to quickly control a very limited outbreak in Santiago de Cuba. This time, the epidemic has become uncontrollable, particularly due to large amounts of waste accumulating in the streets and stagnant water stored in tanks in homes to compensate for the shortage of running water, which has affected up to three million Cubans this year, according to authorities.

The lack of foreign currency, due to the severe economic crisis the country has faced for the past five years, has also weakened public services, especially healthcare, while prevention efforts such as fumigation are suffering from fuel shortages.