'D-Day': Health calls on the population and authorities to collectively participate in national action to combat dengue

With more than 991 thousand cases of dengue registered in Brazil, the Ministry of Health, in a press conference this Wednesday (28), called on all authorities and the population to act actively in the national 'D-Day' action, scheduled to take place this coming Saturday (2) .

'D-Day', organized by the ministry, is a collective and nationwide mobilization that seeks reinforce actions to prevent and eliminate dengue mosquito outbreaks in addition to promoting broad public awareness.

According to data released by the ministry, the country recorded 207 deaths from dengue this year. 674 deaths are still awaiting confirmation as to whether there is any relationship with the disease. In just the first two months of 2024, Brazil has already surpassed the worst peak recorded last year, which occurred during March and April.

“We want to reach the entire population to demonstrate that it is a moment of unity”, guaranteed the Secretary of State for Health of Minas Gerais, Fábio Baccheretti, who also participated in the conversation with the Ministry of Health.

In São Paulo, 'D-Day' will begin on Friday (1st). The objective of the action in the state is to take advantage of the school day to work together with education. Lectures with explanatory videos about the origin and development of dengue should be presented in schools in São Paulo during the national mobilization.

Work in group

During the press conference, state health secretaries stated that to make 'D-Day' happen nationwide, broad and collective work is necessary, with the help of various sectors and figures with influence among the population.

Among the Ministry of Health's suggestions for the action scheduled for Saturday (2), there must be on-site participation by governors, mayors and health secretaries. The objective is for authorities and representatives from the health sector to visit homes in their regions, talk to the population and work extensively to raise awareness among local citizens.

Local influencers and communicators were also invited to the event, given the environment in which they operate and how they can help to make a significant change in people's behavior in relation to dengue.

The ministry also made clear during the press conference its desire for all networks, media and the press to be involved and help publicize 'D-Day'.

The Minister of Health, Nísia Trindade, also reinforced the importance of the date: “No state can be outside this mobilization. Governments, city halls, can and should work together in this action, there can be no exceptions”, reinforced the head of the department.

Dengue across the country

In the first two months of this year alone, Brazil recorded 207 deaths due to the disease. Another 674 deaths are awaiting analysis to confirm whether the cause is related to dengue.

Minas Gerais leads the states with the most cases of the disease, with 332,306 records. Federal District, Acre, Goiás, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro and Santa Catarina also join the states with the highest number of registered cases.

According to the Ministry of Health, people aged 20 to 40 are those who fall most ill from dengue in Brazil. The public is the one with the highest concentration of the disease, as they are always in circulation throughout the regions they inhabit. The cases considered most serious are concentrated in people over 70 years of age.

Although there is already a vaccine against dengue in Brazil, only children and adolescents, aged 10 to 14, are currently being prioritized during the vaccination campaign. This age group has the highest rates of hospitalization due to the disease in the country.

*Under the supervision of André Rigue