The World Health Organization states that as of 1998, infectious and parasitic diseases slashed one-third of all deaths in the world in 1997 and 43% of deaths among developing nations. The low rate in Cuba is an exception because of the possible high educational and health awareness rate with regards to the disease in the country. This can be attributed to the consistent improvements of Cuba’s health system over the past 50 years which was further amplified by its speedy modernization. The United States, a nation thought of by most people as a world leader, is even inferior to the Cuban health care system, a sheer proof that you don’t need power to heal. 

About 50 years back, a town along the Caribbean, which happens to be a part of Cuba, decided that it has to hasten the pace in terms of medical education. This was when several mass infections hit the nation at the same time, killing so many. Among these viral killers is Dengue. Today, Cuba has a population of about 11 million which are all served by dedicated health workers which includes more than 70,000 medical doctors all working in a first class medical system. Now isn’t this an inspiring scenario for other developing countries? I mean if Cuba can do it, why cant they? It is believed that corruption and not simple lack of resources causes nations to have its people die of any viral epidemic. 
 

Maria Maria Guzman and her husband are both working in a battle against Dengue for 20 years now. She works at the Tropical Medicine Institute Pedro Kourí (IPK), in Havana, Cuba as one of its head virologist. Her work there has been acknowledged to have made significant contributions in the field of pathogenesis, diagnosis, epidemiology, and clinical progression of this disease. The good doctor has been with the Cuban academy of Science for the Developing Worlds but she concentrates in the fight against Dengue. She is currently a member of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), World Health Organization (WHO), and the Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR). 

The Dengue prevention organization also believes that educational programs are not prioritized seeing that resources to implement them are not evaluated on a regular basis. The education is somewhat mixed-up and done by inexperienced individuals who at most times give confusing instructions. The training of the staff, to be truly credible in educating the public about dengue, costs too much for countries in which the number one problem is famine. Governments have to keep in mind that if it wants to prevent a mass outbreak, it should make dengue prevention a priority. They don’t have to spend much, Dengue prevention is all about making do with available resources. 

Cambodia has followed suit on the band wagon to combat Dengue through information dissemination. Seeing that dengue is actually a classified disease, one that has a concrete source and a definite step of prevention, the Cambodian government felt it only right to focus on prevention instead of a cure. They are no stranger to the fact that dengue is more prevalent among poverty stricken countries because of their unsanitary conditions as well as their lack of means to avail of the mosquito prevention kits such as nets, insect repellants among other devices. Cambodia has one of the most numbers of people infected by the Dengue fever. 

One of the leaders in Thailand warned his countrymen of the dengue epidemic that took the lives of six Thais and infected 6000 more. The said leader is no less than Thawat Suntrajam, the head of the disease control department in Thailand. He states that it is possible that this year, the disease can actually aggravate. He is especially concerned that it might worsen as the rainy season peaks in the country. His arguments hold deep water too seeing that last year alone, 1000 more cases were added to the list. Dengue is often associated with third world nations due to inadequate protection.