Biting Back
Healthcare Workers Safeguard Communities Against Mosquito-borne Disease
The rainy season has just begun in Guatemala. The heavy rain slows down many activities from May to October, but stopping is not part of Anaite’s routine. As the rain pours down outside her window, Anaite is spending her afternoon analyzing the most recent epidemiological data on arboviruses, the insect borne viruses that cause diseases such as malaria or dengue fever. “It’s not just numbers on a page. We are talking about human lives, Anaite explains. Her mission is clear: to help people in the most vulnerable communities to safeguard against life-threatening diseases.
We as healthcare workers have fallen in love with public health because we aim to improve people’s lives.”
Anaité Sánchez is an epidemiologist at Guatemala’s Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance. She tracks data on the spread of Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya. Anaite has met many families affected by these diseases. Among the most vulnerable are pregnant women, who are at particular risk if they contract Zika and children under 8 for whom Dengue can be particularly deadly.
One of the most important messages we send is that we should be able to recognize the symptoms to have the time on our side...no one should die from Dengue!” explains Anaite.
She recalls the case of an 8-year-old boy. The child’s father was a doctor and his mother was a nurse. They treated his high fever for many days without knowing the underlying cause was Dengue. When the fever would not subside he was admitted to a hospital where he was found to have Dengue. Unfortunately, it was too late and the child passed a few days later. For Anaité, this story only highlights the importance of early detection and treatment of Dengue and similar diseases.
In 2021, Anaité was invited by Asociación PASMO to join a multidisciplinary team to develop and update a Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya campaign with the support of USAID. PASMO invited representatives from various MoH offices, including the Health Promotion and Education Office, the Epidemiology Department, and the Social Communications Team, in addition to representatives from USAID, and PASMO’s Advertising Agency who all worked together to review the most recent data and develop updated messages and materials for a new prevention campaign.
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There is so much value in reviewing the data and turning that into education and prevention”, she expresses with an optimistic smile."
Anaité, who facilitated several sessions on epidemiological trends and data around Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya, knew all the social, economic, and language challenges the team would face during the planning and implementation of the campaign, but she was glad because this chance was one in a kind, to focus on prevention to avoid further illness or loss of life.
We spend so much time working to cure patients, but it was rewarding to finally have the chance to work on promoting prevention communication.”
Now Anaité hopes that Guatemalan families can be even more vigilant about the risks of these serious diseases, and she feels optimistic about the future because the campaign was successful. Now people can identify Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya symptoms and act on time.
USAID is committed to investing in communities with the necessary tools, knowledge, and resources to combat and prevent the spread of deadly illnesses. By focusing on healthcare access, education, and capacity building, USAID ensures that these communities are equipped to confront health challenges effectively.
About this Story
Co-authored by: Sofía Yasmín Herrera and Valentín Couillere, PASMO
Edited by: Zeina Hijazi Dubray, Creative Director for USAID/Guatemala
The Prevention Services Against HIV project performed mass and social media interventions specifically in geographic areas where vector borne illnesses such as Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya are endemic to Guatemala. This section of the project has ended.
Implemented by Asociación PASMO, the project currently works in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama to identify high-risk individuals to provide HIV testing and other prevention services to link them to care and treatments if the result is positive. In Guatemala, PASMO recently launched Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (or PrEP) treatment, a highly effective preventive treatment for individuals who are at increased risk of acquiring HIV.