WHO Europe recognises IHMT as a reference institution in dengue research. As a reference institution in research into infectious diseases, the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (IHMT) received a representative from the World Health Organisation’s Medical Emergencies Department for the European Region (WHO Europe), with the aim of producing communication content on dengue fever.
In the publication published on 09.07.2024 on IHMT, which can be viewed in English here, WHO Europe makes known the main risks associated with dengue fever, especially in the context of large movements of people, as will happen this summer in France during the Olympic Games. Experts from the GHTM – Global Health and Tropical Medicine research centre, through Carla Sousa, professor and member of VBD-GHTM, and in the clinical field, through Marcelo Ferreira, medical doctor and IHC-GHTM Research Group Leader, emphasised the importance of monitoring and preventing potential outbreaks of this disease on the European continent.
The work of WHO Europe also highlighted the importance of VIASEF as a high security infrastructure in Europe, essential for conducting excellent research in this area, and a visit was made to the facilities, accompanied by Ana Catarina Alves, Insectary Coordinator. The IHMT’s citizen science project, MosquitoWeb, was also highlighted for its value and prestige, and community participation was publicised as crucial to identifying the vector that transmits dengue in Portugal.
WHO Europe’s recognition of the growing risk of dengue outbreaks, especially in Southern Europe, and the promotion of health literacy involving IHMT experts represent a joint effort to:
- strengthen surveillance and response strategies at European level
- make the identification and monitoring of areas favorable to dengue transmission more effective
- collaborate with local health authorities in the early detection and implementation of effective control measures
- strengthening research efforts, important for the development of new treatments and vaccines
- awareness and population sensitization, especially in places with a strong presence of Aedes mosquitoes
