Focus on dengue

Dengue is the fastest growing mosquito-borne disease in the world today, causing nearly 400 million infections every year. In the last 50 years dengue has spread 30-fold, from less than 10 to 128 countries where about 4 billion people live today. Regular dengue epidemics can disrupt local healthcare systems flooding hospitals and diverting health care resources. Globally, dengue is estimated to cost 9 billion USD annually in direct medical costs and indirect costs.

Dengue is a painful disease that is also known as ‘break bone’ fever due to the terrible bone and joint pain it causes. There is no specific treatment.

Sanofi Pasteur has the first approved vaccine against dengue and is committed to prioritizing dengue vaccination introduction in endemic countries where there is greatest potential for reducing the disease burden. Addition of the vaccine to integrated dengue prevention efforts in these countries should help them achieve the World Health Organization’s goals for reducing dengue mortality by 50% and morbidity by 25% by 2020.