The Ministry of Health of the state of Jalisco confirmed that, more than five months after the beginning of 2019, the federal authorities have not acquired or distributed the necessary insecticides to prevent epidemic outbreaks of dengue.
Juan Salvador García Hernández, the coordinator of the state program to combat dengue in Jalisco, explained that this year the entity recorded a 256% increase in the incidence of dengue; despite this, the federal government has not sent them supplies to carry out preventive fumigations and, he added, has not officially informed them when they will be delivered, or if they will be delivered at all.
As reported by Mexicanos Contra la Corrupción y Impunidad (MCCI), by 2019 the National Center for Preventive Programs and Disease Control (of the Federal Ministry of Health) has a budget of $192,371,000 pesos for the acquisition of insecticide, that should be used exclusively in epidemiological surveillance actions.
The records of procurement and budgetary efficiency of the federal Ministry of Health reveal that until the last day of May 2019, this budget for insecticides had not been exercised, even though such purchases were previously done at the beginning of each year.
The state health official explained that, this year, preventive actions against dengue in Jalisco had to start with insecticide acquired directly with state resources and, to date, have fumigated little more than 15 thousand hectares, in vulnerable communities, mainly from Puerto Vallarta and Autlán.
So far this year, he explained, the health authorities of Jalisco “we have already made two purchases of insecticide and larvicide, and at this time we have enough” to address the start of preventive work (which continues throughout the year ).
However, he warned that the insecticide purchased in Jalisco to prevent the reproduction of the mosquito transmitting dengue is not enough to meet the demand throughout 2019, so, he stressed, “of course it is necessary” the insecticide should be acquired by the federal agencies to support annual actions against this disease.
However, he added, “the state government has a reserved (economic) amount to be able to do the relevant acquisitions to meet the needs of the population, if necessary. “
