The authorities of Isla de la Juventud acknowledged deficiencies in solid waste collection and raised concerns about a worrying in the area during a session of the Municipal Assembly of the People's Power this week.
According to the report from the official newspaper Victoria, the Municipal Services Company presented a waste collection project at the assembly, which is progressing unevenly across the different districts of the municipality.
The Chacón district is recognized as the most advanced in the implementation of the program, while in the 26 de Julio area, two additional carts will be added to strengthen the service.
In Abel, the actions are scheduled to begin next week, and in Pueblo Nuevo, one of the largest areas of the special municipality, the authorities will first conduct a study to tailor the strategy to its specific characteristics.
The authorities plan to gradually extend the project to the regions of La Demajagua and Patria, according to information from the newspaper.
This plan is set against a backdrop of partial privatization of the service, considering that since August, the mipyme Belmary has started charging for waste collection in the neighborhoods of Chacón and Sierra Caballos, with the warning that those who do not pay the fee will be identified by inspectors from the Community Services Company.
In parallel, the municipal director of Public Health, Bárbara Daudinó, presented the complex epidemiological situation facing the territory due to the increase in arbovirus diseases, especially dengue.
The official warned that serotype 2 of dengue is the most prevalent in the country and alerted about the risk of transmission in the municipality, while urging the population to seek medical attention immediately at any sign of fever.
The situation is particularly critical in the town of La Fe, where the diagnosed cases of dengue increased by more than 40 compared to the previous week, although no severe cases have been reported so far, as confirmed by the newspaper in another report.
Microbiologists in the area confirmed the circulation of several serotypes, including serotype 2, which can worsen a patient's condition in a matter of hours and pose a risk to their life.
To contain the outbreak, about 40 members of the Armed Forces were mobilized in La Fe along with medical personnel, and outdoor fumigations using microdroplets, active house-to-house surveys, and intensive sanitation efforts are being implemented, the source specified.
The health crisis is not exclusive to Isla de la Juventud. Sancti Spíritus has been recording an increase in the incidence rate of dengue for five consecutive weeks.
Similarly, the province of Guantánamo remains in epidemiological alarm due to the proliferation of landfills, while the municipality of Unión de Reyes, in Matanzas, reported 154 febrile patients and lacks the capacity to fumigate regularly due to the energy crisis.
Cuba closed 2025 with over 81,900 cases of dengue and chikungunya and at least 65 deaths, according to data from the Pan American Health Organization.
The Deputy Minister of Public Health, Carilda Peña, warned in June that "if we do not take a series of actions, we could face an epidemic."
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