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Scope and Scale
Had the number of dengue cases continued to rise, the health system would have faced a critical risk of being overwhelmed due to insucient personnel and limited resources to meet the population’s growing needs. This escalating scenario placed considerable pressure on outpatient health services and hospitals.
These institutions were not only tasked with managing the dengue outbreak but also had to respond to a broad range of public health needs, including trauma care and chronic non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, and cancer. The dengue epidemic posed a serious threat of diverting essential attention and resources from these other critical health areas, further intensifying the public health crisis.
Moreover, dengue-related illness became a leading cause of disability during the outbreak. It led to widespread absenteeism from work and school, disrupting daily routines and reducing productivity. These disruptions had cascading eects on the broader economy, contributing to declining workforce output and the potential for a deeper economic downturn.
The economic consequences extended well beyond direct healthcare costs, encompassing indirect impacts such as lost income for families, diminished productivity, and increased pressure on already fragile social protection systems. Over time, these eects hindered national economic development and exacerbated existing social inequalities.
The most vulnerable populations were those living in communities with poor access to clean water and sanitation services. These groups often resided in overcrowded urban peripheries, near rivers, drainage channels, or waste disposal sites—areas that fostered mosquito breeding due to stagnant water accumulation.
Children and young adults were particularly at risk due to their lack of natural immunity, and they showed a higher likelihood of developing severe forms of the disease. Similarly, individuals with underlying conditions such as hypertension, kidney disease, or diabetes were also at greater risk, especially when these conditions were not adequately managed, reducing their resilience to dengue infection.
In previous outbreaks, entire neighborhoods had been designated as dengue hotspots. As long as environmental and public health vulnerabilities persisted, these communities remained disproportionately aected.
Consequently, it was essential to implement comprehensive public health strategies to curb the spread of dengue. These strategies required strengthening the health system, enhancing disease surveillance and early case detection, and promoting active community engagement in preventive actions. Such measures were vital to mitigating the epidemic’s health and economic impacts.