Brazil advances plan to combat rising dengue cases
On Thursday (Jan. 9), Brazil’s Ministry of Health established the Emergency Operations Center to address dengue and other arboviruses.
Health Minister Nísia Trindade stated that the initiative aims to coordinate planning and response efforts through ongoing government dialogue with states, municipalities, researchers, and scientific institutions.
Planned actions include preparing health networks in advance for the dengue season, mitigating risks to prevent cases and deaths, expanding preventive measures to better support states and municipalities, and strengthening national coordination to address critical situations.
Trindade also announced the launch of a new National Contingency Plan for Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika, structured around six key pillars. The plan aims to expand preventive measures, strengthen the healthcare network, and curb the spread of these diseases across the country.
The previous version of the plan was launched in 2022, prior to Brazil's largest dengue epidemic on record, which occurred in 2024.
Among the key actions highlighted by the Ministry is the expansion of the Wolbachia method, which will extend from three to 40 cities by 2025. When the Wolbachia bacterium is introduced into mosquitoes, it prevents the development of viruses such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, thereby reducing their transmission. Also noteworthy is the deployment of 150,000 larvicide spraying stations, which are expected to be installed during the first phase of the project.
Vaccine
According to Ethel Maciel, the Secretary of Health Surveillance, the Ministry of Health has already acquired the entire stock of dengue vaccines available from the manufacturer for 2025, totaling 9.5 million doses.
The Brazilian government's strategy is to intensify dengue immunization efforts among children and adolescents aged 10 to 14 this year. This approach is particularly important given the stockpile of approximately 3 million doses, which were distributed to states and municipalities in 2024 but have not yet been administered.
Epidemiological scenario
In 2024, Brazil reported 6.4 million probable cases of dengue and 6,000 deaths, according to the Ministry's arbovirus case update panel.
As of Wednesday (8), 10,100 probable cases of dengue and 10 deaths under investigation have been reported in 2025.
