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Cuba is experiencing an unprecedented epidemiological crisis, but official information remains partial and opaque.
The Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) has acknowledged the simultaneous circulation of three viruses—chikungunya, dengue, and oropouche—across the country, with thousands of sick individuals and dozens of minors hospitalized.
However, the authorities have not transparently explained the specific risks that these arboviral diseases pose to the child population, nor the possible consequences they may leave on affected children.
While Dr. Francisco Durán acknowledges that "the majority of severe chikungunya cases” involve minors under 18, Cuban television does not provide scientific information on the damage these viruses can cause to the child's body.
In contrast, studies published by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States have been warning for years about the severe complications and long-term consequences that these infections can cause in children and adolescents.
Chikungunya: A "debilitating" disease that hits the youngest hard
Chikungunya —a viral infection transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito— is characterized by high fever, intense muscle and joint pain, and rashes.
Although it is typically regarded as a self-limiting illness, the WHO has confirmed that it can be severe in infants, small children, and individuals with preexisting conditions.
A study conducted in Brazil between 2014 and 2024 (Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal, CDC, 2025) concluded that children under six months are particularly vulnerable to neurological and cardiac complications, and that one in ten develops chronic joint pain after the acute phase.
Another study from the Journal of Tropical Pediatrics (India, 2024) found that children infected during pregnancy or at birth are at high risk of vertical transmission, with potential brain damage and multi-organ failure.
In Cuba, where pediatricians lack basic resources, the risk of complications multiplies.
The virus causes such intense pain that officials from MINSAP describe it as "extremely painful," but they neglect to mention that in young children it can lead to encephalitis, viral hepatitis, or severe dehydration, and that many require prolonged admission to intensive care units.
Dengue: An old disease with new threats
Dengue, endemic in Cuba for decades, also poses a growing danger to children. The OPS reported that children are more likely than adults to develop severe forms, such as dengue shock syndrome or capillary leakage, where bodily fluids seep out of blood vessels, leading to circulatory collapse.
According to the WHO, co-infection with different serotypes of the virus — a situation currently present on the island — increases the risk of severe dengue by up to ten times. In contexts of a health crisis, without proper hydration or hospital monitoring, these cases can be deadly.
A meta-analysis published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas in 2023 warns that mortality from severe dengue in children can reach 20% in healthcare systems lacking adequate resources.
In Cuba, where there is a shortage of serums, antibiotics, and pediatric beds, the lack of transparency regarding the figures for childhood deaths is becoming increasingly concerning.
Oropouche: An emerging virus with neurological sequelae
Less known than dengue or chikungunya, the oropouche virus —also transmitted by mosquitoes— has been identified by the PAHO as an emerging pathogen in the Caribbean.
In South America, several studies (Brazil, Peru, Ecuador) have documented cases of meningitis and encephalitis associated with this infection in children and adolescents.
The Journal of Medical Virology (2024) noted that 15% of pediatric patients infected with oropouche experienced moderate to severe neurological complications, including hearing loss and behavioral disturbances.
Although the MINSAP claims that "no cases are being reported," the lack of molecular surveillance in Cuba means that the silent circulation of the virus cannot be ruled out.
Childhood, the great victim of official silence
International organizations are clear: arboviral diseases are not “temporary fevers” in children, but rather potentially serious threats that require intensive surveillance, prolonged medical follow-up, and sustained prevention policies.
But in Cuba, public information is minimal. There are no accessible epidemiological bulletins, statistics by age or province are not published, and the authorities avoid acknowledging the deaths.
The minister José Ángel Portal Miranda, the top authority of the healthcare system, continues to remain absent from the media and has not provided a national pediatric emergency plan, while his subordinates merely call for "self-care" and "calm."
This lack of transparency has real consequences: parents do not know when to go to the hospital, doctors work blindly, and families address symptoms at home, exposing children to dehydration or neurological complications.
The urgency to inform and protect
Cuba currently leads the incidence rates of chikungunya and oropouche in the Americas, according to the PAHO. However, the population is barely aware of the risks these diseases pose for children.
Cuban childhood—once a symbol of pride for the official discourse—now represents the most vulnerable group. Silencing statistics and sugarcoating the crisis do not save lives. On the contrary: hiding scientific information, denying resources, and suppressing medical criticism only amplifies the suffering.
Cuban children do not need propaganda or euphemisms. They need serums, beds, medications… and the truth.
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