FNP President Mayor Edvaldo participates in a meeting with the Minister of Health to combat dengue

The President of the National Front of Mayors and Mayors (FNP), Mayor Edvaldo Nogueira, participated, on the afternoon of the third Saturday, in an extraordinary meeting with the Minister of Health, Nicia Trindade. The virtual meeting, which included the capital's directors, in addition to representatives of municipal and health bodies, aimed to discuss strategies to combat dengue fever, due to the recent increase in confirmed cases of the disease, which is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, in the country. Weeks. The municipal health minister, Agnieszka Barboza, attended the meeting alongside the mayor.

“This is a very important moment and represents a big step in the fight against dengue fever in Brazil. We have seen a rapid rise in the number of confirmed cases of the disease in the country, and we need to anticipate measures to stop the spread of mosquitoes that transmit this virus and other arboviruses. The last time there was The dengue epidemic in Aracaju occurred in 2008, during my first term as mayor of the city. Everything we witnessed in that difficult time was fundamental to the preventive action plan that we began implementing, since 2017, when I returned to lead the municipal administration in my third term. It has been seven years. From working day in and day out, based on the planning based on the six LIRAa that we implement annually, we have reaped many positive results. Now, with the leadership of the Ministry of Health and joint actions, we will certainly be more effective, just as other municipalities will be as well,” said Edvaldo.

In his participation, the FNP President and Aracaju Director stressed the need to allocate resources to city councils to expand mosquito control measures, and also highlighted the importance of developing a vaccine distribution plan that covers all cities. He added: “We know that the priority is for municipalities that are already suffering from epidemics, but we need to study the method that serves the entire population, because it will be necessary for us to get results in the future. This gives us hope.” .

Edvaldo also noted that the disease in the capital Sergipe is under control, with 150 confirmed cases recorded this year, but stressed that the municipality is already on alert, given the imminent start of the rainy season. “At the end of last year, when we presented the LIRAa data, the Aedes aegypti infection rate in our city was 0.8, the lowest in the last 20 years for November. Now, we have 1.0, which is still considered low risk but that does not make us relax. On the contrary, we are following what is happening in other cities, such as Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro, and given the approaching rainy season, which is scheduled to start in March, we will already expect preventive measures, including the reactivation of our Emergency Operations Committee, “So that our capital can combat dengue fever as effectively as it has for the past seven years.”

Edvaldo also congratulated the Minister of Health for this initiative “to focus discussions and call on mayors to work together.” “When Brazil faced the new coronavirus epidemic, I was in charge of the Aracaju City Council, in my third term, and at that moment, out of fear, we managers felt deeply about the lack of national leadership. Today, differently than what happened then, we are witnessing a Ministry Active and combative health, which efficiently anticipated, called on managers to combat dengue fever. It is necessary to look at the municipalities as it is happening now. It is in the city that life happens, and it is “also found in the city that faces the greatest difficulties. We, the mayors, have to act quickly to provide answers to residents. Therefore, I would like to congratulate Minister Nesia for taking charge of this confrontation in the country. The National Progressive Front reiterated that “the situation is at your disposal to contribute to joint action and mobilize managers.”

Representing the President of the National Confederation of Municipalities (CNM), Paolo Ziolkowski, the entity's technical analyst in the health field, Marcela Leimgruber, agreed with the Director of Aracaju and stressed the importance of the video conference led by the Minister. “Just as Mayor Edvaldo said, cities need this support that the Ministry of Health is now providing. Municipalities are ready to work effectively to combat dengue, to ensure that residents receive quality assistance in terms of health services, but they need it. He stressed federal support for coordinated action.”

Emergency Operations Center

During the meeting, Health Minister Nicia Trinidad presented the emergency operations center established by the Ministerial Department to combat dengue fever. She explained the mechanism of the committee's work, which will serve as the point of contact for collecting and analyzing data, preparing reports, and publishing epidemiological bulletins related to the disease. “The Operations Center is coming to improve procedures and unite Brazil in the fight against dengue. This is a moment that requires anticipation and vigilance. We will have to make a major national effort, based on joint action, to combat the vector of dengue.” The Minister stated that “75% of transmission cases occur within homes.” And to raise awareness among residents about the care that must be taken in homes. “We are focusing on dengue, but we will also remain vigilant for other mosquito-borne arboviruses.”

Regarding the current situation, the Minister also stressed that at the moment “there are epidemiological situations in some places, such as Rio de Janeiro, the Federal District, Acre and Minas Gerais, but this does not represent a national emergency.” He added, “The situation is not a national epidemic, but an epidemic at the local level, and for this reason we expect action. I want to emphasize that we will work together, in the idea of ​​uniting Brazil to combat dengue.” .

The coordinator of health surveillance and reference laboratories at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Rivaldo Venancio da Cunha, warned of signs of the disease. “We already know that it is necessary to look at a person with the care of those who can save him. Rapid access to health services and a more efficient look at serious symptoms, in addition to bleeding, is essential,” he said.

In addition to Mayor Edvaldo Nogueira, the meeting was attended by the PNP, the mayors of Araraqura/SP, Edíño Silva, of Belém/PA, Edmilson Rodríguez, the Executive Secretary of the entity, Gilberto Peri and the Executive Secretary of Consórcio Conectar, Cynthia Christ.