Cuba implements scientific actions to treat arboviruses

HAVANA, Cuba, Oct 28 (ACN) In the current epidemiological context in Cuba, characterized by the simultaneous circulation of several arboviruses, the National Health System is strengthening measures at all levels of care to ensure a more comprehensive, organized, and effective response.

This was highlighted today by the Cuban Presidency in a report on the most recent meeting of health experts and scientists, led by Miguel Diaz-Canel, First Secretary of the Party Central Committee and President of the Republic.

It was revealed that multiple actions have been designed from the scientific field to address this reality, leveraging lessons learned from the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ileana Morales Suarez, Director of Science and Technological Innovation at the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), explained that work is currently underway in three key areas: countering mosquito infestation rates; in the treatment of the disease to find ways to improve the treatment protocol and, finally, what to do to eliminate or minimize the after-effects of these pathologies.

In particular, she stated, priority has been given to research related to the chikungunya virus, which has been more recently present in Cuba, and therefore specific work has been done on its clinical-epidemiological characterization, taking into account the behavior of the disease.

It was announced at the meeting that the first clinical study for chikungunya will begin in the coming days in three hospitals in the province of Matanzas and one in Havana.

The purpose is to verify the effectiveness of the Cuban drug Juzvinza, primarily to treat the manifestations of joint inflammation that persist in many patients after recovery.

For her part, Maria Guadalupe Guzman Tirado, Director of Research, Diagnosis, and Reference at the Pedro Kouri Institute (IPK) Research Center, pointed out that the increase in chikungunya infections in the country is mainly due to the fact that the virus has never circulated at its current intensity, and therefore, our population's immunization levels are lower.

This means that, in principle, we are all susceptible to the virus, which, between dengue and Zika, is also the most clinically symptomatic and also the one that remains active in the blood the longest, she explained.

President Diaz-Canel emphasized the importance of continuing to advance scientific research and innovation to strengthen and constantly update the protocol followed in the country to combat arboviruses, taking into account the behavior of these diseases.

He insisted on keeping the population constantly informed about the effects of these viruses, as well as the actions and research underway to counteract them.

We now face a very challenging time, considering the imminent impact of Hurricane Melissa on the eastern part of the country and everything that such a phenomenon entails, he concluded.