Brazil clamps down on Aedes-transmitted diseases

Brazil's efforts to reduce the incidence of diseases transmitted by the Aedes aegypt mosquito have achieved positive results. More recent data released by the Ministry of Health reveals that the number of cases of zika and chikungunya decreased between 2017 and 2018, while dengue cases remained stable.

As of November 10 this year, there had been 7,544 reports of zika throughout the country, a 54% decrease over the same period in 2017 (16,616). As for chikungunya, the number of reported cases went down to 82,382, a 55% reduction in relation to the previous year (183,281). Among the three major diseases caused by the mosquito, only dengue saw a slight increase, from 226,675 in 2017 to 228,042 cases reported by the beginning of last month.

According to the Ministry of Health, preventive actions and increased funding to combat the Aedes have been instrumental to reduce the number of cases reported of seases. Funding for the portfolio's Health Surveillance actions, which include the fight against Aedes aegypti, have grown in recent years, from R$ 924.1 million in 2010 to R$ 1.93 billion in 2017. In addition, since November 2015, some R$ 465 million have been allocated for research and development of vaccines and new technologies against zika, dengue and chikungunya. This year, the budget allocated for health surveillance actions is of R$ 1.9 billion.

Campaigns

The federal government also invests in educational campaigns to educate the public about ways to prevent and combat the Aedes. The slogan is "The danger is for all of us. So is the fight. Do your bit. With simple actions, we can fight the mosquito." The Ministry of Health stresses that uniting everyone, government and population, is the best way to eliminate the mosquito, and that surveillance must be constant.

Through these actions, the government is showing that everyone is responsible for eliminating containers that can accumulate water and serve as breeding ground for the mosquito. The intention is to encourage people to set aside a day of the week, such as Saturday, to eliminate possible places where the Aedes can reproduce, at home and on the streets.