Related videos:
The health authorities of Camagüey announced a new vector control campaign against the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits dengue and chikungunya. This initiative includes the use of motorbikes equipped with loudspeakers to broadcast prevention messages throughout the streets, as reported by Radio Camagüey.
The state broadcaster explained that the measure aims to "increase public awareness about the elimination of breeding sites, the maintenance of clean spaces, and the importance of seeking medical attention when experiencing symptoms of mosquito-borne diseases."
The head of the Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (Prosalud), Ana Isabel Abay Márquez, clarified that, in addition to mototaxis, “fumigation, larviciding, and sanitization of public spaces and homes” are being carried out as part of the plan to combat the vector.
The initiative, presented as an "innovative strategy," arises amidst a complex epidemiological situation, with citizen complaints about the lack of fumigation, the accumulation of garbage, and the increase in febrile cases in various neighborhoods of the province.
While the mototaxis traverse the city carrying health messages, some residents of Camagüey have reacted on social media with skepticism and criticism regarding the initiative. In the comments on Radio Camagüey's post, several users questioned the effectiveness of the campaign and reported the lack of fumigation in their neighborhoods.
"My neighborhood has been fumigated several times, but the mosquitoes just won't go away," wrote one user, while another commented that "there are areas that receive very little or no treatment at all, with entire families falling ill who don't even go to the doctor." Others were more direct in their dissatisfaction: "They haven't come through my neighborhood," noted another message.
There were also harsher opinions expressed, such as one person who claimed that "the worst mosquito in this country is communism," or another user who complained that the authorities "spend the day on campaigns, roundtables, and news broadcasts and don't resolve anything."
In the post about the initiative on CiberCuba Noticias the tone was similar. “Cleaning up the extensive dumps in the city of Camagüey is a real shame,” wrote one reader. Another pointed out: “We don't need motor taxis and loudspeakers, but rather trucks and staff to collect the garbage,” while someone sarcastically remarked: “And maybe the mosquitoes will flee with the loudspeakers.”
The citizen discontent reflects the discrepancy between official actions and the health reality that the country is facing. As acknowledged by the authorities of the Ministry of Public Health, the epidemiological curve of dengue and chikungunya “remains in an epidemic zone”, and thousands of sick individuals are not included in the official reports because they do not seek medical attention.
The Deputy Minister of Public Health, Carilda Peña García, recently acknowledged that most provinces — including Camagüey — remain within the epidemic corridor, as high incidence rates are reported and there are difficulties in sustaining fumigation efforts due to a lack of equipment and personnel.
In its latest report, the health system recognized 47 deaths from arboviruses, mainly dengue and chikungunya, with children being the most vulnerable population.
The scene coincides with the eve of December 17th, when thousands of Cubans honor San Lázaro, the orisha of healing, amidst a health crisis that has renewed prayers for health and hope. The popular devotion to the “miraculous old man” contrasts sharply with the shortage of medications, power outages, and the lack of state control over outbreaks.
In Camagüey, the so-called "innovation" of motorcycle taxis with loudspeakers aims to attract the attention of the public. However, amidst uncollected garbage, open breeding sites, and a lack of healthcare resources, the initiative seems more like a public relations maneuver than an effective solution to an epidemic that continues to overwhelm the Cuban health system.
Filed under: