The World Health Organisation says more than five million dengue infections and 5,000 deaths were recorded globally in 2023.
This was contained in a statement posted on the site of the United Nations on Friday.
The UN headquarters in Geneva, Dr. Diana Rojas Alvarez, WHO Team Lead on Arboviruses, stated that the threat required maximal attention.
According to him, the threat also required response from all levels of the UN health agency to support countries in curtailing current dengue outbreaks and prepare for the upcoming dengue season.
He said “Since the beginning of this year, over five million cases and about 5,000 deaths of dengue have been reported worldwide and close to 80 per cent of those cases have been reported in the Americas, followed by Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific”.
Dengue is the most common viral infection transmitted to humans bitten by infected mosquitoes.
It is mostly found in urban areas within tropical and sub-tropical climates.
The increase in the number of reported cases of dengue in more countries is explained by the fact that infected mosquitoes now thrive in more countries because of global warming associated with rising emissions.
“Climate change has an impact on dengue transmission because it increases rainfall, humidity and temperature.
“These mosquitoes are very sensitive to temperature,” she said.
