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The leader Miguel Díaz-Canel reprimanded the residents of the municipalities of Cerro, Plaza de la Revolución, and Playa this Saturday for not having enough fumigation workers and ordered the mobilization of students and workers for these tasks.
At the same time, the government acknowledged that Havana generates significant income from arboviruses and does not fully control mosquito transmission.
The epidemiological landscape of the capital is characterized by a decline in febrile cases over the past five weeks, although no total figures for infected individuals were provided. It was, however, noted that there is still a significant number of hospital admissions.
Currently, 148 adults and 162 children under three years old remain hospitalized, groups particularly vulnerable to arboviruses. This was revealed during the weekly meeting of the country's leadership and local authorities to follow up on efforts aimed at addressing ongoing issues in the region, as reported by the digital portal of the Presidency.
Authorities indicated that this is the sixth consecutive week of applying intensive adulticidal treatment in a population of over 303,000 households.
The University of Medical Sciences participates in research, surveillance, and primary care for patients, while coordinating intersectoral actions for sanitation and environmental hygiene.
Despite this deployment, the Government acknowledged that the efforts against the mosquito Aedes aegypti continue to be hampered by a lack of workers capable of operating the fumigation equipment.
Although 12 municipalities met or even exceeded their goals, Cerro, Plaza, and Playa fell behind, a situation that triggered a direct criticism from Díaz-Canel.
The president urged local authorities to "appeal to the available reserves" in each territory and to call upon students and workers to address the deficit.
The first secretary of the Party in Havana, Liván Izquierdo Alonso, stated that the three municipalities have no justification, given that the rest of the capital has increased its forces and multiplied the brigades in the past week.
This Saturday, workers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Minrex) conducted fumigation efforts at Plaza de la Revolución, following the ruler's call.
Recently, Dr. Carilda Peña García, Deputy Minister of Public Health, publicly admitted that the government cannot carry out mass fumigation in the country, as was done years ago, due to a shortage of fuel, insecticides, and the deterioration of the machines used in vector control campaigns.
The confession took place during an appearance on state television, amid the chikungunya dengue epidemic affecting much of the national territory.
In several neighborhoods of the capital, residents report that fumigation is irregular and that mosquito breeding sites persist in critical areas, exacerbated by the accumulation of garbage, the scarcity of drinking water, and poor waste management.
A recent video released by independent journalist Mario J. Pentón showed an alleged state fumigator in Víbora Park, in Havana, who was visibly affected by the consumption of synthetic cannabinoids, commonly known as "the chemical," which sparked outrage among residents and social media users.
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