Dengue has been a major public health threat in Latin America for decades, with epidemics occurring cyclically every three to five years. Transmitted by female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, the virus affects millions of people every year, but never more than now.

So far this year, more than 12.7 million suspected cases of dengue were reported in the Region of the Americas, a record number in the history of the disease.

In Central America and Mexico, more than 17,000 new suspected cases of dengue were reported in the last week of November alone. This equates to 100 cases every hour, a 198 per cent increase over the average over the past five years.

This increase in the spread of dengue poses a challenge to health systems in a region facing complex climatic and health conditions. 

The effects of the climate crisis, extreme temperatures and more intense weather events – such as hurricanes Eta and Iota in 2020, the historic heat waves earlier this year, or the recent tropical storm Sara – are changing the habits of thousands of Central American families living in conditions of risk and vulnerability. 

Growing poverty and inequality, coupled with insufficient and inadequate water and sanitation services, are forcing people to store what little water they have access to. Water is often stored improperly, due to a lack of information or the lack of adequate means to store it safely. 

This and other practices, such as poor solid waste management, can facilitate the creation of mosquito breeding sites in items such as uncovered water containers, tires, flowerpots, piles and gutters.

The Guatemalan Red Cross carried out a day of dengue prevention and physical vector control through home visits in Aldea Nimina, El Palmar, Quetzaltenango.

Photo: Guatemalan Red Cross

Amid this multi-factorial challenge, National Red Cross Societies from around the Central American region have engaged in a comprehensive response, which encompasses a variety of strategies focused on prevention and education. 

During 2023 and 2024, local Red Cross teams have implemented six dengue response operations in Central America, with support from the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF).

This year, dengue response efforts have also been carried out in operations in response to a hospital fire in Roatan, Honduras, and flooding in June in El Salvador. 

Thanks to these eight IFRC-DREF operations, National Societies in the region will be able to reach more than 182,000 people in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Panama with response actions, but also with prevention for future outbreaks.

Members of the Costa Rican Red Cross carried out dengue fever prevention surveys and checks in the community of Paquita, Quepos.

Photo: Costa Rican Red Cross

Community-based prevention

One of the Red Cross' main initiatives has been to raise community awareness of the dangers of dengue and the importance of eliminating mosquito breeding sites. 

Volunteers work directly in communities, in coordination with health authorities, to carry out community-based prevention and vector control activities. 

The main activities include educational talks, identification and elimination of mosquito breeding sites, application of larvicide in stacks and water containers, fumigation and cleaning campaigns, and home visits.

These activities teach people how to avoid stagnant water, where mosquitoes prefer to lay their eggs, and promote practical and effective measures such as turning over containers and regularly cleaning drainage systems.

The response also includes the distribution of safe water storage containers and household cleaning kits, as well as water filters, repellents and mosquito nets for groups at risk, such as pregnant women, children under five, the elderly, and people with disabilities and/or reduced mobility.

The Salvadorean Red Cross has delivered water purification filters and other essential items to 42 families affected by the floods of last June, who were temporarily housed in a sports complex in the Zacatecoluca district of the municipality of La Paz Este.

Photo: Salvadorean Red Cross

Strong and prepared communities

The Red Cross has a long-term focus on training local staff to strengthen community capacity to fight dengue. 

Through workshops and training sessions, volunteers learn how to recognize the symptoms of dengue, how to effectively prevent outbreaks and how to implement sustainable mosquito control programs.

Volunteers have also helped to establish and train community health committees to promote epidemiological surveillance at the community level. 

In several locations, local health workers are also being trained in the clinical management of dengue patients, especially in areas where health infrastructure is limited.

A team of technical staff and volunteers from the Honduran Red Cross carried out a dengue fumigation and cleaning campaign in the community of Villa Nueva, in the department of Cortés.

Photo: Honduran Red Cross

Through its comprehensive approach to education and prevention, the Red Cross has played a key role in the fight against dengue in Central America, a region highly vulnerable due to climatic, social and health factors. 

The actions carried out by volunteers and trained staff have not only allowed the response to emergencies, but also to prepare communities for future outbreaks. 

From eliminating breeding sites and distributing supplies to training in clinical management and sustainable vector control strategies, these interventions have built community resilience. In some places, the actions of the National Red Cross Societies in support of the health ministries in the region have led to reductions in dengue cases. 

Despite the progress, dengue remains a challenge, underscoring the importance of continuing to adapt our response strategies to the climatic and social changes affecting public health in the region.