Colombia: Huila department declares emergency due to dengue outbreak
Officials in Huila department, in southwest Colombia, have made the decision to declare a public health emergency in order to better address the spread of dengue throughout the region. The community is called upon to comply with the established protocols. A special contingency plan is being prepared in order to contain the spread of the disease.
By Decree 019 of 2025, the Departmental Government made the decision to declare a Public Health Emergency due to the confirmation of an outbreak of Dengue Type II that has been affecting the health of the people of Huila.
According to the document, issued on January 28, the declaration of emergency will allow health authorities throughout the region to carry out effective promotion and prevention processes, as well as to call on the community to follow the established protocols since this is an endemic disease for which there is no vaccine.
“The Departmental Government headed by our Governor Rodrigo Villalba Mosquera and supported by the Huila Health Secretariat, has made the decision to declare a public health emergency due to the detection of an outbreak of type II dengue in our territory. This leads us to take immediate measures to be able to care for the affected population in the best way possible and to generate the necessary actions to work in a coordinated manner between public and private health institutions to provide the conditions for the affected population and contain the impact that this can have on the lives of human beings. This measure will initially last for six months,” said Sergio Mauricio Zuñiga.
The official of the Departmental Government warned that there are a number of factors that are directly influencing the proliferation of dengue, clarifying that this is not a situation exclusive to or specific to the department of Huila, since similar problems associated with climate change, changes in rainfall cycles, among others, are evident throughout the country.
“It is important to note that we are experiencing a global problem. It is not an issue exclusive to our region, although historically dengue is an endemic disease that affects departments like ours, given its geographic location, temperature, among other factors, to which is added climate change, which is having a high incidence in the increase of reported cases, but also with a direct impact on people's lives, since reports from Sivigila and the National Institute of Health indicate that only last year 19 people died in our region due to this disease,” explained the Secretary of Health of Huila.
The Decree that has already entered into force calls on citizens to put into practice the established prevention mechanisms, since this is a situation that is brewing and generated in the homes of the people of Huila.
“We must insist on the importance of prevention from within the home. Swimming pools, water sources, canals, tires and others are the breeding ground for the generation of the transmitting mosquito. That is why it is essential to heed the recommendations and follow the protocol that has been defined for this purpose. The responsibility of minimizing the impact that dengue is having on the population is in the hands of each Huila resident. It is a matter of conscience, love for the family and appreciation for human life. This problem concerns us all,” said Sergio Mauricio Zuñiga, Secretary of Health of Huila.
Recommendations:
To prevent dengue, water deposits that serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes should be avoided in order to reduce their reproduction. To do this, you should:
-Change the water in animal water bowls and flower vases frequently.
-Cover containers with water, remove accumulated garbage from patios and outdoor areas, remove tires or storage in closed sites.
-Use repellents on exposed areas of the body.
-Wear appropriate clothing: long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
-Use mosquito nets or mosquito nets on beds, especially when there are sick patients to prevent them from infecting new mosquitoes or in places where children sleep.
-Wash and brush tanks and pools.
-Puncture tires located in playgrounds that may contain stagnant water during rainy episodes.
-Fill disused septic tanks, drains and abandoned latrines with soil.
-Collect garbage and solid waste from vacant lots and buildings, keep the yard clean and participate in community collection days for waste materials with community and intersectoral activities.