After 40 years, Cyclone Yaku has reached northern Peru, mainly affecting this part of the country. This weather phenomenon has wreaked havoc in several cities, with heavy rains and river overflows. It has affected the productive capacity, safety, living conditions, and health of the population, which is threatened by the outbreak of vector-borne diseases.
The National Center for Epidemiology, Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) recently reported that infectious diseases such as respiratory diseases, acute diarrhoea, dengue fever, leptospirosis, plague, and malaria have a high risk of rampant spread. According to a report by the daily newspaper El Comercio, there have been a total of 22,841 reported cases so far this year, a figure that far exceeds the 13,613 reported cases over the same period in 2022.
CARE’s response
Faced with this imminent danger, CARE Peru launched the #PrevenirEsVivir (Prevention Is Life) campaign. Hand-in-hand with health organizations and institutions, the campaign reports and provides recommendations on how to mitigate outbreaks of emerging diseases, with the aim of ensuring the health and comprehensive well-being of the affected people.
“The rain should mean a time of prosperity and happiness, but the reality is different. Lack of minimum planning, little maintenance, and bad practices by neighbors and authorities are some of the aggravating effects of the rains. At CARE we help the population to identify danger zones, evacuation routes, and safe zones in their territories and localities”, said Lucy Harman, manager of risk management and emergency response at CARE Peru.