The World Health Organization (WHO) reported an ongoing outbreak of Dengue fever in the Logia and Mille districts of Zone 1 in Ethiopia’s Afar regional state, killing nine people and affecting a total of 1,638 suspected and confirmed cases as of 10 May. The Mille district reported 1,573 cases, while Logia district reported 65, accounting for 96% and 4% of the total cases, respectively. The deaths included four at the health facility and five at the community level. Due to the floods that resulted in stagnant water and increased breeding sites for mosquitoes, the region is struggling to control the spread of malaria and is facing the ongoing dengue fever outbreak. The Afar regional Emergency Operating Center is coordinating response activities, and coordination meetings have been organized with health cluster partners working in the Afar region. Medical supplies weighing 19.5 metric tons were dispatched to eight health facilities in zones 1, 2 and 4, in May to treat over 400,000 patients affected by dengue fever, malaria, measles, and trauma injuries. Dengue fever infections were first reported in Ethiopia in 2013 with a significant public health impact since then, which signals the need for key stakeholders to focus resources towards disease control.
