Yemen Launches Dengue Campaign After 7,815 Cases and 33 Deaths

2 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 26

Health teams across government-controlled Yemen have stepped up mosquito surveillance, spraying and public-awareness work after eIDEWS logged 7,815 suspected dengue cases and 33 deaths between Jan. 4 and July 18.
Hadramout led the outbreak with 2,204 cases, ahead of Aden's 1,639, as workers in Mukalla found fresh larvae in stagnant drainage water and uncovered household tanks despite campaigns two months earlier.
More than 60 suspected cases reached Mukalla's Ibn Sina Hospital in a single day at the May peak, straining emergency services as many patients arrived late with severe symptoms after delaying care or lacking money.
Limited funding, weak public cooperation, poor sanitation and widespread home water storage are undermining control efforts in a health system already battered by war, underfunding and repeated disease outbreaks.
Health experts say dengue is now endemic in Yemen, with no specific treatment or widely available preventive vaccine, making early diagnosis and eliminating breeding sites critical.