Pan American Health Organization Delivers Fifty Fumigation Devices to Holguin
The Pan American Health Organization donated approximately 50 fumigation devices to Cuba to support dengue control efforts in the eastern province of Holguin, Venevision News reported on Thursday, October 22, 2026. The equipment arrives as health officials confront vector-borne disease risks amid severe national shortages of fuel and operational supplies. The Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization contributed the devices, which have already generated a positive impact in communities across the province following their distribution across all 14 municipalities, with a specific focus on areas featuring the highest focal presence of the vector.
Bazookas Target High Risk Areas in Moa and Holguin
The 50 devices, locally known as bazookas, are designated specifically for areas with high concentrations of unspecified febrile syndromes and symptoms compatible with dengue. According to Geanela Cruz Ávila, director of the Provincial Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology, the distribution prioritizes the municipality of Moa and the provincial capital of Holguin.
While provincial health officials did not disclose specific patient infection totals to state media, Cruz Ávila stated that effectiveness studies for dengue control actions exceed 98%. The Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN) reported that authorities have formed specialized brigades to carry out adulticide treatments aimed at reducing mosquito populations in high-risk city blocks. Additionally, health authorities noted an seasonal increase in acute respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, hepatitis, and other arboviruses, though official reports maintain that these outbreaks are controllable and do not represent an excessive increase in diseases
.
Fuel Crisis and Sanctions Limit Vector Control Operations
Despite high reported effectiveness rates, vector control operations face severe constraints. Cruz Ávila explained that adulticide treatments remain limited by a persistent fuel crisis affecting the island nation for several months. International sanctions and restrictions on foreign companies trading with Cuba further restrict access to necessary medical supplies. Cruz Ávila specified that the international donation helps strengthen the capabilities of Cuba’s public health system in the face of the intensified economic, commercial, and financial blockade maintained by the United States against the Caribbean island.
To mitigate fuel shortages, local health workers have adapted equipment operations. CubitaNOW reported that the new devices allow teams to prepare insecticide emulsions using water rather than relying entirely on the petroleum required by older traditional systems. This sanitary scenario unfolds concurrently with daily blackouts exceeding 20 hours, shortages of medications and food, difficulties accessing drinking water, and garbage accumulation in the streets.
Comparative Regional Health Data
The current vector control effort follows a severe regional epidemic. Official figures indicate that Cuba recorded an epidemic of dengue and chikungunya in 2025 that resulted in 65 deaths and 81,909 infections. For 2026, the Pan American Health Organization reported that the country accumulated 1,746 dengue cases and 2,716 chikungunya cases through June, based on official government registries. Data from July, August, and September were treated as estimates because official updates regarding the progression of the illness were absent, while official reports noted that October typically brings higher dengue transmission rates across Cuba due to environmental conditions favoring mosquito proliferation.
Strengthening Health Capacities Amid Community Vulnerability
Cruz Ávila emphasized to state media reporting broadcast via EFE that This donation contributes to strengthening the capabilities of the Cuban public health system.
. The arrival of the equipment supports local vector brigades tasked with protecting vulnerable populations, particularly as seasonal rainfall and high temperatures accelerate the breeding cycles of the Aedes aegypti
mosquito.