Although health authorities insist that cases of dengue and chikungunya show a "slight improvement," the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) itself acknowledges that the reality is much more serious than what the official statistics reflect. It is important to remember that in Cuba, thousands of sick individuals do not appear in reports because they never reach a doctor.
The Deputy Minister of Public Health, Carilda Peña García, admitted this Monday on state television that, despite a decrease in fever and some clinical indicators, “the curve remains in the epidemic zone” and all provinces, except Matanzas, are still within the epidemic corridor. This acknowledgment comes in a context marked by the simultaneous circulation of dengue and chikungunya, a combination that keeps the population on edge.
According to the official, suspected cases of dengue even showed a slight increase in the last week, while provinces such as Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo, Artemisa, Mayabeque, Pinar del Río, and Las Tunas have the highest incidence rates.
In the case of chikungunya, although a decrease is reported, the virus continues to strike hard, especially in areas such as Havana, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, and Camagüey.
However, behind those figures lies a reality that the Government itself has publicly acknowledged, which is that the numbers do not reflect the true magnitude of the outbreak. Weeks ago, Dr. Francisco Durán, National Director of Epidemiology at MINSAP, admitted on the program Buenos Días that many sick individuals do not seek medical services and, therefore, are not officially recorded.
"The information collected in statistics does not always correspond to reality," Durán acknowledged, explaining that fear, lack of medications, the saturation of clinics and hospitals, and distrust in the system drive thousands of Cubans to seek treatment at home. The result is a massive underreporting that minimizes the real impact of the epidemic.
While television talks about control, a different story unfolds in Cuban homes, where people are immobilized by intense pain, families lack access to basic pain relievers, sick children are cared for at home, and adults avoid going to the hospital knowing they won't find any medications.
The deputy minister herself warned that individuals under 18 years of age, including infants and newborns, continue to be the most affected group, with dozens of severe and critically ill patients in intensive care.
Additionally, there is the official warning regarding year-end celebrations. Peña García emphasized the need for special care for adolescents and young adults who have suffered from the illness, reminding that the recovery period can lead to serious relapses if rest is not observed. This call stands in stark contrast to the precariousness of a system that, as Durán acknowledged, fails to even cover the fumigation plan due to a lack of equipment and personnel.
Although authorities emphasize that more than 80% of the urban areas have been fumigated and attribute part of the "control" to the climate, MINSAP itself has acknowledged that vector control actions remain insufficient and that the infestation by the Aedes aegypti mosquito continues at elevated levels.
In this scenario, official data serves more as a ceiling than as an accurate reflection of the crisis. The epidemic reported in daily bulletins is just a fraction of what is experienced in the streets and homes, where thousands of Cubans fall ill without a diagnosis, without testing, and without medical attention.
Filed under:
