The Ministry of Health is currently dealing with a notable increase in dengue cases.

According to Health Minister Dr. Atonio Lalabalavu, this year has seen 5,571 recorded cases, compared to 4,835 during the same period last year.

He adds that leptospirosis cases have surpassed the outbreak threshold, with 3,186 cases reported this year, alongside 260 cases of typhoid.

“And we have a program and processes in place to see how we can monitor the disease trends, especially during the wet season. And so far, in summary, there has been an increase in LTDD trends as compared to last year. I’m told that acute watery diarrhea cases have also increased, but we’re thankful for the introduction of the rotavirus vaccination. There have been fewer pediatric admissions from those illnesses.”

Dr. Lalabalavu adds that the Ministry is actively monitoring the situation and ensuring timely treatment for patients to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions.