MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bolivia’s Morales heads fumigation campaign against dengue

Bolivian president Evo Morales headed this weekend a massive fumigation and clean up campaign in one of the poor neighbourhoods of the city of Santa Cruz as part of a major effort against the mosquito transmitted dengue disease which has caused so far 22 deaths and an estimated 41.000 cases.

“I’ve come to work together as another soldier, as another citizen to clear up the garbage”, said Morales on the beginning of the campaign in Santa Cruz which has 70% of all dengue cases reported in Bolivia.

“We are all going to work clearing up. It’s a responsibility of the government to combat dengue, but citizens mush avoid the accumulation of garbage so we avoid the proliferation of the mosquito (aedes aegyptus) which is causing so much harm among Bolivians”.

Morales publicly admitted that at first the government was slow in reacting because “it didn’t give much significance to the outbreak”, but when “we found out the contagion had spread to neighbouring countries” that is when the mobilization of Bolivia’s resources at municipal and national level was decided including the participation of the Army.

The fumigation campaign is scheduled to continue in the region of Beni and later Tarija where dengue has also advanced considerably.

Public Health minister Ramiro Tapia said that at least 22 people had died of the more virulent haemorrhagic dengue strain and that 41.036 cases of the more benign traditional strain had been reported, and 4.154 confirmed.

Tapia added that his ministry now has 32 million US dollars to address the epidemic that has extended to six of the countries nine provinces.

This is the rainy season in tropical South America and dengue is endemic in Bolivia, Paraguay, south of Brazil and northeast Argentina.

Bolivia’s Epidemic’s Office chief Juan Carlos Arraya said he was concerned with the over 40.000 cases reported but was “even more concerned because the tendency is for the curve to keep increasing”.

Earlier reports said that by the end of the month (and the rainy season) the number could soar to well over 50.000 cases.