Ecuador: Minister of Health executes preventive measures against infectious illnesses during winter

zika, dengue and chikungunya concerns

andes.info.ec Quito, Jan 10 (ANDES) .- The Ministry of Public Health of Ecuador carries out some prevention actions to protect the population from infectious and viral diseases that are more frequent during the winter season, including influenza and also zika, Dengue and chikungunya, which are transmitted by the mosquito bite aedes aegipty.

This Tuesday at a press conference, Health Minister Veronica Espinosa, reported some of the figures that left these diseases last year and recommended that people be prepared to avoid getting these diseases.

The main way to do this, he said, is to destroy the breeding grounds of the mosquito Aedes aegipty, which usually grows in small water sources, wells, buckets without cover, where water accumulates during this time. He also recommended frequent hand washing, drinking plenty of fluids, boiling drinking water and good trash management.

Since the last days of last year, the Ministry has carried out actions to destroy mosquito breeding sites in collaboration with 30 other municipalities in the country, with the intention that the population will not be infected with zika, dengue or chikungunya. Mosquitoes tend to reproduce.

According to Ministry figures, the cases of Influenza had a rebound with 942 cases, of which 82 people were deceased, reason why this year already began the vaccination with the intention to prevent a new outbreak. Espinosa recommended that the most vulnerable population (children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with catastrophic diseases) protect themselves with the vaccine.

“For this we have implemented a series of measures and activities that do not allow us to have this year again that number of fatal outcomes. Last year an extraordinary vaccination campaign was implemented, around the month of April (…) This year we have started the vaccination campaign for these risk groups and it is very important that they be vaccinated, “said the minister.

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About zika, Espinosa reported that there were 2,939 cases throughout the country in 2016, but thanks to the actions taken to control the outbreak, the country had the lowest number of cases in South America (1.7 cases per 10,000 population).

“The zika is not gone, it is not going to go, once it entered the country and the region we have to live with this virus for many years and this implies that activities can not decline, because the moment we lower activities That allowed the control we are going to have a rebound in the number of cases “, assured Espinosa.

As for the number of dengue cases due to the activities carried out decreased last year, from 42,681 cases in 2015 to 14,150 in 2016. They also reduced the death toll in half, from 8 in 2015 to 4 in the year past.

“Throughout the year activities are maintained to eradicate the mosquito especially in the hatcheries, we will intensify the actions throughout this month and we will continue until June intensive activities for which we have the support of the Armed Forces, the Police but Also of citizenship, “he said.

Fernando Cornejo, deputy minister of health governance and surveillance, said they have already set a plan to guarantee all the necessary medicines for the population, taking priority to the areas that are most needed as Manabí and Esmeraldas, areas affected by the earthquake of past April 16th.

“We have sufficient resources and we have started all the processes to have medication day and time,” said Cornejo. Read Article