Los Health ministers of all provinces They were received in the city of Buenos Aires within the framework of the Federal Health Council (COFESA) by the Minister of Health of the Nation, Mario Russo. At the meeting The current epidemiological situation of dengue was exposed and the guidelines for the reorganization of health services in situations of outbreaks or epidemics were shared, intended for jurisdictional and municipal health authorities and those responsible for health services with the objective of ensure adequate care and timely treatment of people who consult with symptoms compatible with dengue in times of outbreaks or epidemics, as well as reducing cases of severe dengue and deaths.
With the presence of Ricardo Pieckesteiner22 of the 24 provincial ministers were able to meet, only those from Formosa and Río Negro were missing from the meeting.
The Province establishes a new health care protocol
On the other hand, the Minister of Health of the Nation referred to the operation of the Directorate of Direct Assistance for Special Situations (DADSE) – recently transferred to the Ministry of Health, then to the process initiated due to irregularities found in previous administrations – and emphasized that The continuity of this area of the State is fundamental for management. Along these lines, he highlighted that “progress is being made with the delivery of medications for between 150 and 180 patients per week” and we will work hard to continue providing a response.
The meeting of the Federal Health Council (Cofesa) began around 9:30 at the Kirchner Cultural Center. In it, a redefinition of national, provincial and municipal powers in the management of the health system to better organize who is in charge of what (from purchasing inputs to covering high complexity) and from what data to measure results.
When passing to the state of dengue epidemic situationthe Ministry of Health of the Nation presented the updated data this Sunday in the National Epidemiological Bulletin on the more than 130,000 official cases, with 96 deaths, only so far this year. Data that is alarming, but not conclusive since an increase in cases is expected starting this weekend.
One of the advances of the national minister was that the Government is about to publish the regulations for the implementation of electronic prescription starting July 1 as the only resource for medical prescription and dispensation throughout the country.
Dengue: could the outbreak be avoided through mass vaccination?
In this regard, and as has been repeated in Cofesa meetings since 2009, when the epidemic outbreaks advanced beyond the northern provinces, there was no lack of agreement among the ministers that prevention must be reinforced. The ongoing epidemic demonstrates this.
Vaccination against dengue
In Cofesa, it is agreed that the provinces and municipalities are ultimately responsible for the territorial work, in homes and surrounding areas, to eliminate the mosquito vector “as the first line of defense” against dengue.
With an increase in rains, reference was made to local reinforcement of debris removal, fumigation and helping to raise awareness among citizens.
Regarding the possibility of incorporating vaccination into these tasks, national officials reported that the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the National Immunization Commission (Conain) are not recommending its inclusion in the national calendar (at the moment no country has done so ), while safety and adverse effects studies are advancing.
Flu vaccination
In addition, national health authorities reported on the start of the flu vaccination campaign, launched free of charge throughout the country with the aim of reducing complications, hospitalizations, sequelae and deaths caused by influenza virus infection in the population. risky.
The vaccine, like every year, will be free for this population in the public health system vaccination centers throughout the country. It is not necessary to have a doctor’s order and it can be applied with other vaccines on the calendar.