The Acting Prime Minister, Hon. Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio, has announced a nationwide response to the dengue fever outbreak, which has seen confirmed cases rise above 1,700 since the start of the year.
The Ministry of Health declared the outbreak on 17 April 2025, following a rapid surge in infections. As of 20 July, there have been 1,756 laboratory-confirmed cases, with hospitals reporting more than 100 new cases each week. Two dengue virus serotypes, DENV-1 and DENV-2, are currently present in Samoa.
Children under the age of 15 remain the most affected, with severe illness reported predominantly among this age group. Two child fatalities have been confirmed. The outbreak is most severe in the Northwest Upolu and Apia Urban Area but has now spread across the country. Hospitals, especially paediatric units, are under pressure and have had to set up temporary wards and extra beds to handle the increase in admissions.
On 23 July, Cabinet met and approved a set of urgent actions proposed by the Ministry of Health to strengthen the national response. These include the activation of the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) to coordinate efforts with the Ministry of Health and the rollout of a public awareness campaign to inform the public of prevention and response measures.
Government ministries and agencies are now tasked with leading a national clean-up campaign aimed at eliminating mosquito breeding sites. The Ministry of Women, Community, and Social Development will work with villages and districts, while the Ministry of Commerce and Labor will coordinate with businesses to clean commercial premises. All government offices will carry out fumigation and site clean-ups.
All schools across the country will close for one week, from Monday 28 July to Friday 1 August, to allow for fumigation and to reduce the risk of transmission. A nationwide call for blood donations has also been made to support treatment for critically ill patients. The Samoa Red Cross, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, will lead this effort.
Emergency government funds will be directed through the Ministry of Finance to support the dengue response. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade will engage health development partners to assist with the Ministry of Health’s response plan. Government vehicles will be made available to support transport needs associated with the plan.
These actions are part of the national Vector Control Strategy 2023–2030 and are guided by the Health Ordinance 1959.
The Acting Prime Minister urged all families, schools, churches, and workplaces to remove stagnant water, clean up surroundings, and be alert for symptoms such as fever, joint pain, and rash. He encouraged anyone feeling unwell to seek medical help immediately.
“Let us work together to protect the health and well-being of our communities,” said Tuala.
SAUNOAGA FA’APITOA A LE AFIOGA I LE SUI PALEMIA, HON. TUALA TEVAGA IOSEFO PONIFASIO
MO LE PEPESI AI O LE FA’AMA’I O LE FIVA O PONĀIVI I SAMOA
Aso Tofi, 24 Iulai 2025
Ou te fa’atalofa atu i le maimoa fa’afofoga mai a si o tatou atunu’u. O lenei ua tatou taunu’u manuia mai i le ogātotonu o lenei vaiaso, aemaise o le fa’ai’uga o lenei masina o Iulai, i le agalelei fa’asoa o lo tatou Atua. O Ia o lo’o ta’ita’iina pea le faigāmalaga a si o tatou atunu’u.
Fa’amālō le folau manuia, fa’afetai le ta’i, auā le feagai ai ma nafa ma matāfaioi, i so’o se faiva o lo tatou valā’auina.
Ou te taofi o sā ma faigā o Samoa, auā pa’ia fa’ale-ekalesia, o pa’ia fa’ale-atunu’u, ma pa’ia fa’ale-mālō, ua ta’oto lava i atululuga ma ua mae’a ona tu’u laupua. Ona manatu lea, o le ā fa’ata’alolo pa’ia o le atunu’u.
Ae manatu le Mālō, e ao lava ina fofoga lo outou pa’ia ma lo outou mamalu, i le fa’agasologa o auaunaga ‘ese’ese a lo tatou Mālō, e puipuia mai ai si o tatou atunu’u mai le pepesi ai o le Fa’ama’i o le Fiva o Ponāivi.
O le Aso 17 o Aperila 2025, na fa’ailoa aloāʻia ai e le Matāgaluega o le Soifua Mālōlōina le pepesi o le fa’ama’i o le Fiva Ponāivi [Dengue Fever] ina ua maitauina le si’itia o le fuainumera o le mamalu o le atunu’u ua a’afia.
E tusa ai ma fa’amaumauga a le Matāgaluega mai iā Ianuari e o’o mai i le Aso 20 o Iulai, 2025, e 1,756 i latou ua fa’amaonia i suʻesuʻega (laboratory cases) ua a’afia ma le to’alua ua māliliu.
O lo’o fa’ailoa mai fo’i e le Matagaluega, e silia ma le 100 i latou e fa’amaonia ua a’afia i le vaiaso. Ua fa’amaonia mai fo’i e le Matāgaluega e lua itu’āiga [serotypes] o vairasi o le fiva ponāivi o lo’o pepesi i Samoa nei, o le DENV-1 ma le DENV-2.
E tusa ai ma fa’amaumauga a le Matāgaluega o Soifua Mālōlōina, o loo a’afia tele fanau ma tupulaga talavou, ma o gasegase matuiā e tele ina a’afia ai i latou e i lalo o le 15 tausaga le mātutua.
O nofoaga o lo’o fa’amauina le sili ona a’afia e aofia ai le Mātū i Sisifo o Upolu ma le talafātai o Apia. O le taimi nei ua pepesi le fa’ama’i i le atunu’u atoa, ma ua fa’atumulia le Falema’i, aemaise lava i le vaega o lo’o va’aia ai fanau [pediatric units].
I lana Fonotaga i le Aso Lulu, 23 o Iulai 2025, na talanoaina ma fa’amaonia ai e le Kapeneta fuafuaga a le Matāgaluega o le Soifua Mālōlōina mo le si’itia o le puipuiga o le atunu’u mai le pepesi o le fiva ponāivi, ma lona fa’agaoioiga i vaega nei:
- Le tatalaina o le Ofisa Tutotonu mo Fa’alavelave Fa’afuase’i [N.E.O.C.] mo le fa’afoeina o fuafuaga e tali atu ai i le pepesi o le fa’ama’i o le fiva ponāivi, e galulue fa’atasi ai ma le Matāgaluega o Soifua Mālōlōina;
- Le fa’atino o polokalame fa’alauiloa mo le si’itia o le puipuiga o le atunu’u e aofia ai ma fa’amatalaga o fuafuaga, ma lona fa’atinoga mo le silafia e le mamalu o le atunu’u e tauala atu i le N.E.O.C.
- Fa’atino polokalame mo le fa’amamāina o maota ma laoa, fa’atama’ia nofoaga o lo’o nonofo ai namu ma vai to’a, e aofia ai le:
- Galulue fa’atasi o le Matāgaluega o Tinā, Tama’ita’i ma Agafeso’ota’i ma afio’aga, itumālō ma fono faavae;
- Galulue fa’atasi o le Matāgaluega o Pisinisi ma Leipa ma pisinisi mo le fa’amamāina o lotoā ma nofoaga o lo’o fa’atino ai pisinisi;
- Fa’amalosia o Matāgaluega uma a le Mālō e fa’amamā ofisa ma nofoaga galulue ai, ma le fumigation o nofoaga talafeagai.
- Le tapunia o ā’oga uma i totonu o le atunu’u i le vaiaso e tasi mai le Aso 28 Iulai e o’o atu i le Aso 1 Aokuso 2025, a’o fa’agasolo le fanaina o ā’oga;
- Le unā’ia o le ofo fua o le toto (blood donation), e taulāmua ai le Sosaiete o le Koluse Mūmū ma le Matāgaluega o le Soifua Mālōlōina, mo le fesoasoani i gasegase tigāina;
- Le fa’ata’otoina o vaegātupe fa’apitoa mo fa’alavelave fa’afuase’i e tauala atu i le Matāgaluega o Tupe;
- Le fa’atinoina o fe’utanā’iga ma pa’aga mo le lagolagoina o le fuafuaga a le Matāgaluega o le Soifua Mālōlōina, e tauala atu i le Matāgaluega o le Va-i-Fafo ma Fefa’atauā’iga;
- Le fa’aaogaina o ta’avale a Matāgaluega eseese e fesoasoani ai i le Matāgaluega o le Soifua Mālōlōina mo galuega fa’atino.
O lenei fa’ai’uga o lo’o ō gatasi ma le Ta’iala mo Fa’ama’i e fe’aveā’ia e namu ma iniseti fa’alafuā (Vector Control Strategy 2023 – 2030) ma le Tulafono o le Soifua Mālōlōina 1959.
E talosaga atu i le mamalu o le atunu’u, pisinisi, vaega tumā’oti ma Matāgaluega uma ina ia galulue fa’atasi e tineia le pepesi o le fiva ponāivi.
Tatou maua pea le to’a fīlēmū o le Atua, ma ia tatou galulue fa’atasi mo le puipuiga o le soifua mālōlōina ma le saogālēmū o si o tatou nu’u.
Soifua ma ia Manuia.
