Why?
As part of the current dengue outbreak in the Americas, Colombia
has reported 84,664 cases of dengue and 919 cases of severe
dengue. As of Epidemiological Week (EW) 35
2
(25 to 31 August
2019), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) indicated that
Colombia has the second highest incidence in this new cycle of the
epidemic. The cases have been centred in the departments of Meta,
Tolima, Huila, Santander, Norte de Santander, Casanare, Cesar and
Antioquia, which represent 66.2% of cases nationwide. This outbreak
has caused 169 deaths in 2019 according to Colombia’s National
Institute of Health’s EW 35 Epidemiological Report. At the national
level, from EW 8 of 2019 onwards, the epidemic curve is above the
upper limit for expected cases compared to what has been historically
observed (2011 to 2018), placing the country in a new epidemic cycle.
In terms of the epidemic profile 4.4% are male; 25.6% with severe
dengue are children under five years of age; and 1.3% are Indigenous
and 1.5% are Afro-Colombians. Dengue is endemic in Colombia transmission commonly occurring in
778 municipalities, a historical circulation of the four serotypes of the virus and epidemiological peaks every three years
(2010-2013-2016). In response to the increase in cases from EW 42 in 2018 to EW 35 in 2019, reported as of the 31
August, Colombia is in a state of alert with higher than expected cases in the departments of Meta (Villavicencio), Huila
(Neiva), Cucuta (Norte de Santander), Casanare (Yopal), Tolima (Ibagué) and Santander (Bucaramanga) Colombia
What?
Health and WASH
Who?
Number of people to be directly reached: 10,500
Number of people to be reached indirectly: 900,000