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The spread of dengue, chikungunya, and other arboviral diseases in Cuba has intensified in recent weeks due to the deteriorating health conditions, food crisis, and lack of basic medications.
According to a report by the independent organization Food Monitor Program (FMP), which specializes in monitoring food security in the island, the epidemic is unfolding against a backdrop of widespread malnutrition and chronic shortages of medications, which has weakened the immune response of the population and compromised the capacity of the health system.
The organization emphasizes that thousands of people are facing the illness with weakened defenses due to a lack of proteins, vitamins, and drinking water.
The Ministry of Public Health of Cuba confirmed in October the simultaneous circulation of the dengue and chikungunya viruses, with active transmission throughout the country.
Official data accounts for several tens of thousands of chikungunya cases, although citizen reports and unofficial medical estimates suggest a higher number.
The report from FMP warns that the outbreak is worsening due to poor healthcare conditions, a shortage of fuel for fumigation, and the structural crisis affecting public services.
The document notes that deficiencies in access to quality food, the scarcity of running water, and the accumulation of waste contribute to the proliferation of the transmitting mosquito.
The organization recalls that food insecurity affects more than 90% of Cuban households and that an increasing number of families have reduced the quantity and quality of their daily meals.
FMP emphasizes that the physical and emotional weakening caused by malnutrition exacerbates the severity of symptoms of dengue and chikungunya, prolongs recovery times, and increases the risk of complications such as hemorrhagic dengue.
The report concludes that the country is facing an "interconnection of crises" in which the health emergency is compounded by food poverty and the collapse of essential services such as water and electricity.
The lack of resources in hospitals, the shortage of medications, and the reduction of medical staff worsen the situation.
In several health centers, IV fluids and painkillers are in short supply, while prices in the informal market have surged.
According to FMP, the deterioration of the public health system and the lack of state coordination have left the population "in an unprecedented vulnerability to preventable diseases."
The report concludes that, unless the transmission of viruses is controlled and the structural causes of the crisis are mitigated, Cuba could enter a phase of continuous endemic transmission of arboviruses, with increasingly higher seasonal peaks and a population that is becoming more and more weakened.
The health crisis caused by dengue and chikungunya in Cuba has forced the regime to implement emergency measures that highlight the severity of the healthcare collapse.
Among the most recent actions, the Ministry of Public Health recommended the use of vitamins and omega-3 supplements to address the joint repercussions caused by these arboviral diseases, especially in the affected children.
The recommendation aims to relieve pain and reduce persistent inflammation, given the lack of specific medications and structured medical rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, improvised measures have been taken to address the most basic needs. The regime has urged the population to make their own oral rehydration salts using sugar, salt, and boiled water, due to the widespread shortage of saline solutions in pharmacies and hospitals.
The measure has been heavily criticized by experts, as it places a task that should be covered by the healthcare system into the hands of citizens, particularly in cases of high fever, vomiting, and diarrhea associated with dengue.
Meanwhile, uncertainty continues to shape the epidemiological landscape. The authorities acknowledge that it is not possible to determine when the current epidemic wave will end, which is affecting all provinces of the country with active transmission of chikungunya and dengue.
The simultaneous circulation of both viruses, coupled with the deterioration of the healthcare system, has created an unprecedented scenario of sustained transmission.
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