Cook Islands declares dengue fever outbreak in Rarotonga amid rising cases
Two new cases were confirmed, bringing the total number of cases to seven.
Photo:
SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
The Cook Islands government has declared a dengue fever outbreak in Rarotonga.
In a statement on Friday (Thursday in the Cook Islands), the Health Ministry said two new cases were confirmed, bringing the total number of cases to seven.
The Cook Islands government has launched
Operation Namu25
, which includes community clean-up across Rarotonga on Friday (Saturday NZT), vector control and spraying around areas with confirmed cases, and coordination with Pa Enua (outer islands) so they stay dengue free.
Local agencies, including island councils, are working together to support this national effort.
The Health Ministry said outer island communities are also preparing their own local response.
It said that recent rain and humidity have increased mosquito activity.
"All clinics and health facilities remain alert and well-equipped to manage any further cases."
The ministry added the World Health Organisation (WHO) and regional health partners have been informed.
There are no travel restrictions, but travellers are advised to take precautions.
"We urge everyone to help stop the spread of dengue in our communities," Health secretary Bob Williams said.
"By working together, we can protect our families and prevent dengue from reaching the Pa Enua. Let's take action now."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
4 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Health needs to be put to ministers
Wānaka's most vocal health advocacy group will be demanding more publicly funded services for the region in upcoming meetings with health ministers. Health Action Wānaka have secured a private meeting with the Minister of Health Simeon Brown on July 1 in Auckland, in addition to a meeting with Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey on the same day, during his visit to Wānaka for the Rural Health Roadshow. The group published a health report two months ago exposing urgent unmet health needs in the region and criticising the lack of strategic health planning to meet the Upper Clutha's rapid population growth. Before publishing the report, Health Action Wānaka wrote to Mr Brown sharing their findings and requesting a meeting which they were offered a day after the report went public. As part of the report, they worked with healthcare providers and interviewed locals who have faced inequity when trying to access services. The report exposed gaps across a range of services including mental health, maternity care and aged care, while also highlighting key barriers, such as travel costs, for locals trying to access healthcare in the region. Four members of the group's steering committee are set to travel to Auckland next month for a meeting with Mr Brown, while the remaining member and two representatives from youth mental health NGO, ADL will meet Mr Doocey. Health Action Wānaka spokesperson Monique Mayze said in a statement that they wanted to leave both meetings feeling confident the ministers were considering their recommendations. Part of the group's proposal are three "quick wins" which will include the introduction of telehealth psychiatric consultations, publicly funded blood collection within the next two years and funded radiology services. Ms Mayze said that with the strong evidence they have collected, the ministers will be held directly accountable to the local community for what they choose to do with the information. "Sometimes you have to be the squeaky wheel to get stuff done," she said. "And that's what we will continue to be until our community gets access to the publicly funded health services it needs". The group announced both meetings on their social media and called for community involvement as they plan the specific questions they want to ask during the meetings. They are also urging the community to attend the public questions and answers event with Mr Doocey as a way of showing solidarity in the fight for a more equitable healthcare system. "We need hundreds of locals to turn up," Ms Mayze said. " ... to send a message to Minister Doocey and Minister Brown that something has to be done about the health services inequity in our community." The group's meeting with Mr Doocey will take place before the public event and will be attended by one member of Health Action Wānaka and two representatives from ADL. Ms Mayze said the representatives from ADL will be able to give Mr Doocey insights into the reality of mental health services in the region. This will also help make a strong case for the group's proposal to introduce psychiatric telehealth services for NGOs like ADL. The public event will be held on July 1 at the Lake Wanaka Centre, from 12pm to 1.30pm, as part of the Rural Health Roadshow.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- RNZ News
Bookmarks with Annemarie Jutel
This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions. By day Annemarie Jutel is health professor and world leader in critical diagnosis at Victoria University of Wellington. She's also an author, former elite runner, fluent French speaker, and now graphic novelist! Annemarie shares some of her favourite things with us on bookmarks. A self-portrait by graphic storyteller Annemarie Jutel. Photo: Annemarie Jutel
RNZ News
4 days ago
- RNZ News
Pacific doctors coping with dengue cases, say health leaders
Photo: 123RF Most dengue fever outbreaks are not slowing down in the Pacific but there are hopes this will change as the weather gets colder and drier. Samoa's director general of health Aiono Dr Alec Ekeroma said the country saw 56 new cases of the viral infection last week, which is close to a third of the confirmed cases since January. Samoa, Fiji, Tonga and the Cook Islands have all declared dengue outbreaks. All countries apart from the Cook Islands have recorded at least one death. Aiono said Samoa's Ministry of Health is encouraging people to stamp out breeding grounds, which is preferred over spraying campaigns. "The chemicals [are] expensive and it's not as effective as we would like it to be, so it's better actually that we engage the community to destroy breeding sites," Aiono said. He said health care staff are managing. "The good thing is that there's been no very sick cases really recently, so in fact looking at the data there's no one in the hospital right now." Fiji Medical Association president, Dr Alipate Vakamocea thinks Fiji is about to hit its dengue peak. "It's seasonal, so it should be on its way down and we've seen the numbers from the Central Division start to come down," he said. "It's just our numbers in the Western Division haven't really started to settle yet but we should see that now that we're entering into the cold season." Fiji's health ministry has declared an outbreak in the Central and Western Divisions. There have been more than one-thousand cases recorded. "We've noticed that the outbreak is particularly higher in the Western Division compared to the Central Division, and we've had quite a few admissions into hospital with dengue and even quite a few into ICUs with complications of dengue." Vakamocea said doctors are coping. "We've had some challenges, which we've raised in the past with a couple of our consumables, like our IV fluids and things like that," he said. "But they're managing at the moment. I think there are other donor partners who have stepped in to help the ministry bolster its clinical support." He said there had been significant public health campaigns to clean up and reduce the number of mosquito breeding sites. A statement from Cook Islands Ministry of Health on Friday said five cases were considered active, there have been 17 cases since February, and 97 dengue tests have been done. "The average rate remains stable at approximately 1 - 2 confirmed cases per day," it said. Tonga has had 815 cases.
