Dengue in Africa: More than 50,000 total cases reported to date in 2024
In a recent article in The Lancet, the authors write concerning dengue fever in Africa:
An emerging concern is Africa, where active transmission of dengue virus has been reported in 15 countries in the past year. The continent has little clinical experience with the disease, many primary infections go undetected, and funding constraints hinder preparedness and response. Already, 50% of the population lives in unplanned urban settings, a proportion due to rise to 62% by 2050. Mitigation measures to tackle dengue upfront as part of urban development will be crucial. Following a severe outbreak in Burkina Faso in 2023, and the declines in malaria cases, which would have masked dengue in the past, there is far more awareness of dengue and of the need to address response and reporting.
What is the situation in Africa today?
Since the beginning of the year, 50,370 total dengue cases have been reported (10,535 confirmed, 6,830 probable and 33,005 suspected) and 63 deaths have been reported from 13 African Union Member States, with Burkina Faso accounting for the most (30,865 cases and 47 deaths).
In 2023, more than 280,000 total cases, including more than 800 deaths were reported.
The Lancet authors close their piece writing:
If the spread of dengue virus is to be halted, there needs to be a shift from ad-hoc responses to isolated outbreaks towards long-term, integrated programming between relevant sectors. An increase in funding is required for a combination of dengue programmes that include prevention, management and treatment, and effective surveillance. Embedding dengue prevention in urban planning is a key health measure in climate change adaptation. Several exciting new dengue control technologies, not least new vaccines, should be able to help with prevention (although less likely with control) of dengue outbreaks. Together, such measures offer a way for controlling, and then reversing, the spread of dengue. When such programming also includes community-level initiatives, it can lead to sustainable behaviour change that results in positive effects on health outcomes. Many benefits would extend to other arboviruses, such as chikungunya and the newly emerging Oropouche virus.
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How exactly can we best address the immediate threat of current outbreaks while tackling the longer-term headwinds of climate change, urbanisation, and increased mobility that will continue to drive dengue? What co-benefits might be gleaned? A Lancet Commission on dengue and other Aedes-transmitted viral diseases will attempt to answer these questions.
We definitely look forward to the answers to these questions.