There are at least 149 countries around the world that are targets for the multiple diseases carried by mosquitoes. The mosquito population in countries that have poor sanitation standards and clean water issues are losing the battle against viruses, according to Brazilian Doctor Sergio Cortes. Dr. Cortes is an orthopedic surgeon and Harvard-educated businessman. He served as the Director of the State Ministry of Health in Rio de Janeiro for seven years. While he was Director of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Cortes had the opportunity to travel to the poor, rural areas in the North and Northeastern region of Brazil. The living conditions in some of those areas are primitive by anyone’s standards. Infectious diseases continue to make living in those areas a daily struggle.
Extra.Globo.com published an article about the unsanitary conditions and the lack of clean water when Dr. Cortes visited Xerém, Duque de Caxias in 2013. An epic flood destroyed homes, and the streets in the area were filled with garbage as the flood waters receded. Xerém was a prime target for a dengue outbreak and Dr. Cortes, and his Ministry of Health team were sent to Xerém to prevent a serious outbreak of that often deadly mosquito-borne virus. The Ministry of Health team distributed bottled water, survival kits, antibiotics and instructions that explained how to avoid dengue to the survivors.
Dr. Cortes is currently the Chief Medical Officer of Rede D’Or São Luiz in Rio de Janeiro, according to CruchBase.com. But Dr. Cortes is still very active in the ongoing program to reduce the mosquito population by using new insecticides, setting new medical standards in rural and intercity slums. Dr. Cortes advocates purchasing drugs and vaccinating people when vaccines are available. Dr. Cortes wants to decentralize the management and planning in areas where mosquitoes control the health of the people, according to a post on the Dr. Cortes official website.
Dr. Cortes recently posted a tweet that a controlled multiple disease approach is necessary now more than ever. The Zika virus outbreak changed health control procedures, according to Brazil’s Ministry of Health. More communication, planning, and a closer monitoring system must be established in order to prevent another virus outbreak that impacts the entire country. Dr. Cortes thinks more education is needed, so Brazilians understand that mosquitoes aren’t the only carriers of viral infections. Humans play a big part in the rapid spread of viruses.
You can follow him on Linkedin.