Wed - 15 Jan 2020 - 02:04 AM ،،،
Agencies
At least 78 children in war-torn Yemen have died from dengue-related illnesses, Save the Children said on Tuesday, warning of an epidemic.
"Seventy-eight children under 16 have already died in the outbreak of dengue-related illness in Yemen, with more than 52,000 suspected cases being recorded across the country," the UK-based aid group said in a statement.
Save the Children said that a total of 192 people had died in Yemen last year from dengue-related illnesses, with most cases reported in the port cities of Hodeidah and Aden.
"Hodeidah has the second highest death rate in the country with 62 adult and children deaths in 2019," said Save the Children's field coordinator in Yemen, Mariam Aldogani, herself recovering from dengue fever.
According to the Red Cross in November, Yemen was already grappling with an epidemic of the viral disease, which is transmitted by several species of mosquito that breed in stagnant water.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease that has rapidly spread in all regions of WHO in recent years. Dengue is widespread throughout the tropics, with local variations in risk influenced by rainfall, temperature, relative humidity and unplanned rapid urbanization.
There is no specific treatment for dengue, in particular if it is severe. Early detection of disease progression associated with severe dengue, and access to proper medical care lowers fatality rates of severe dengue to below 1%. Dengue is found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas. Even rural areas are beginning to be affected in some countries.