The number of people affected by dengue fever is rapidly increasing, as confirmed by the Chief Health Officer, Aiono Dr. Alec Ekeroma, in an urgent meeting with journalists this evening.
“There were 81 cases recorded in the first two weeks of April. By including the cases initially recorded from November 2023, the total has exceeded 200.”
The majority of these cases are children up to 9 years old and adults over 60. Most of them are from the island of Upolu, in the north-west region.
In the department’s most recent records for this disease in 2017, there were fatalities in the country.
This is why the department is pushing for implementation of preventive measures nationwide.
Next week, a cleanup program led by the department will begin in areas with a high number of affected individuals, aiming to reduce the number of cases.
As is known, this disease is caused by viruses transmitted by mosquitoes from one person to another, and the staff will use appropriate chemicals to exterminate mosquitoes (fumigation) in all schools and hospitals.
Symptoms of this disease include headache, joint pain, vomiting, fever, skin rash, and one should seek medical attention before it progresses to severe dengue.
Some patients are currently hospitalised due to the virus, but others have recovered.
Tusiaina i le gagana Samoa
E 216 tagata ua maua i le fiva o ponāivi i Samoa: Aiono
Ua vave le alu i luga o le numera o e ua a’afia i le fiva o ponāivi (dengue fever), e pei ona fa’amaonia e le Ofisa Sili o le Soifua Maloloina ia Aiono Dr. Alec Ekeroma i le feiloaiga fa’atopetope ma Tusitala i le afiafi nei.
“E 81 le aofai na fa’amauina i vaiaso muamua e lua o Aperila. A tu’u iai ma le aofa’i na amata fa’amauina mai ia Novema 2023, ua sili atu i le 200.”
O tagata olo’o to’atele ai lea numera, o le pepe agai i le 9 tausaga, ma le 60 aga’i i luga le matua o le soifua.
O le toatele foi o i latou e mai le motu o Upolu, i le itu i Matu i Sisifo.
I fa’amaumauga lata mai a le Matāgaluega i lea fa’amai i le 2017, na iai tagata na maliliu ai i le atunu’u. O le ala lea o le fa’amamafa e le Matāgaluega i le atunu’u ina ia faia ma fa’alauteleina auala o puipuiga.
O le vaiaso fou o le a amata ai le polokalame fa’amama e ta’imua ai le Matāgaluega mo nofoaga olo’o to’atele ai e ua a’afia, ina ia tau tu’uitiitia ai le aofa’i o e ua a’afia.
E pei ona silafia, o le nei fa’ama’i e māfua mai i siama e feavea’i e namu mai le isi tagata soifua i le isi, ma o le a āga’i le aufaigaluega e fa’aaoga vaila’au talafeagai e tineia ai le namu (fumigation) i faleaoga ma falema’i uma.
O āuga o le nei fa’amai e aofia ai le tigā o le ulu, tigā so’oga o ponāivi, fa’asuati, fiva, pata le tino, ma e tatau ona va’ai se foma’i ae le’i o’o i auga ogaoga o le piliki.
Olo’o iai e ua taofia i maota gasegase ona o le nei siama, ae ua iai foi e ua toe manuia.