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Peru: Dengue health emergency scope extended to 222 districts in 19 regions

Photo: Twitter/Ministry of Health of Peru

Photo: Twitter/Ministry of Health of Peru

09:30 | Lima, May. 13.

The Peruvian Government has extended the scope of the dengue outbreak health emergency from 59 districts in 13 regions to 222 districts in 19 regions, plus the Constitutional Province of Callao (Callao region).

Similarly, it ordered its extension for 120 calendar day starting May 25, 2023.

This was established by Supreme Decree No. 009-2023-SA published in the Official Gazette El Peruano.

The latest document replaces Supreme Decree No. 002-2023-SA, through which health emergency was declared in 59 districts of Amazonas, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Cusco, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, Lambayeque, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Piura, San Martin, and Ucayali regions.

The previous rule had provided that the health emergency should last 90 calendar days.

The Regional Health Directorate (Diresa) of Lima Provinces, as well as the Directorates of Integrated Health Networks of Metropolitan Lima, Ancash, Pasco, Puno, Tumbes, and Callao have been included for this purpose.

Once the extension has concluded, the entities involved in the health emergency to fight dengue must report on the activities and resources implemented, as well as on the results achieved.

Scientific support

The National Center for Epidemiology, Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) indicated that Peru is in an epidemic situation due to dengue and high lethality given the seasonal behavior of said disease, which coincides with heavy rainy season and high temperatures in several regions, added to the Yaku Cyclone and Coastal El Niño phenomenon.

The General Directorate for Strategic Interventions in Public Health requested the Health Ministry's senior management to assess —by its technical committee— the extension of the health emergency's scope and its continuance for 120 calendar days, since the national accumulated incidence rate stands at 161.17 per each 100,000 inhabitants.

Said average has been exceeded in 10 regions, such as Ucayali, Madre de Dios, Piura, Loreto, Ica, San Martin, Tumbes, Lambayeque, Huanuco, and Amazonas.

Yet 20 regions report dengue cases. Within this framework, 16 regions host districts in outbreak situation or increase in cases. These are Piura, Loreto, Ica, San Martin, Lambayeque, Lima, Junin, Cajamarca, Huanuco, Madre de Dios, Cusco, La Libertad, Pasco, Ayacucho, Puno, and Callao.


(END) JOT/MVB

Published: 5/13/2023