Back in 2009, Argentina suffered from its worst ever dengue outbreak. With cases reported in 16 of Argentina’s 23 provinces, there were more than 26,000 cases of the disease – and five people died that year.
A year later, the country totally turned this around: healthcare officials reported just 900 cases of dengue in 2010, and as of April 2014, not a single death has been attributed to the disease since then. So what happened? How did Argentina see a 90% reduction in dengue cases between 2009 and 2013?
It’s partly thanks to the support of the World Bank and the Pan American Health Organization. With their financial help, Argentina’s Ministry of Health has tightened up dengue surveillance, increased public awareness, and has sped up access to treatment. Now the average number of dengue cases stands at around 250 a year, and according to the Ministry of Health, in the first four months of 2014, there were only 27 cases reported in the country.
Even children have been included in the government’s health information campaigns, with stories reminding them to turn over any containers that could turn into mosquito breeding grounds.
Argentina is now reaping the benefits of slowing dengue in its tracks at the prevention and the treatment stages. With their success, it wouldn’t be surprising if neighboring countries follow their lead.