Since the beginning of the year, dengue, a mosquito-borne disease, has spread rapidly in South America, once again testing the resilience of the region’s public health systems. The Pan American Health Organization has issued a warning for the Americas, where more than 8.1 million dengue cases were reported through May, more than three times the number in the same period last year. The disease has killed at least 3,600 individuals. Worryingly, experts warn that significant dengue outbreaks could be the norm going forward, as climate change leads to longer and warmer rainy seasons, ideal conditions for mosquitos.

In Argentina, Brazil, and elsewhere, dengue is straining public health resources and leading to questions about the region’s preparedness, including the capacity to access and distribute vaccines and to communicate disease prevention guidance. This follows the devastating impacts in the region of COVID-19 that revealed a range of vulnerabilities and highlighted inadequate spending on public health.

Please join the Wilson Center’s Latin America Program on May 30, 2024, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am ET, for a conversation on the dengue outbreak and the regional response, the state of vaccine research, production, and distribution in Latin America, and whether Latin American governments have applied the lessons from the pandemic.