Minister of Health, Dr. Lackram Bodoe, has confirmed that Trinidad and Tobago has recorded fewer cases of dengue in 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
Last year, the Ministry of Health confirmed that by August 13th 2024, there were 813 laboratory-confirmed cases of dengue fever, with eight confirmed deaths.
Minister Bodoe said the dengue situation is much different in 2025.
“So far, we have been very fortunate in terms of the number of dengue cases, and that’s a positive for us. As of July this year, the numbers that I have at the top of my head, the numbers are far lower this year than last year, including the number of deaths, which are much lower.”
The Health Minister reminded the public to clear and maintain the grass around their homes. He added that there is a plan to address other areas with overgrown lots.
“The Ministry of Health’s Insect Vector Control Division has collaborated with the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government to create an inter-sectoral collaboration and to make the lines clearer in terms of the responsibility. So we are expecting that some of the responsibility will be that of Local Government, with Insect Vector, of course, responsible for the spraying.”
Minister Bodoe spoke with the media at the Opening Ceremony for the Caribbean Public Health Agency’s three-day Regional Global Outbreak and Alert Response Training Workshop on Monday.
With regard to the number of COVID-19 cases in the country, he said he is awaiting a report.
“The Epidemiology Division, as I speak, is in the process of compiling a report for me in terms of numbers and so on. Of course, COVID is always on the horizon and is never off our radar. So hopefully later on this week, you know, we may have something further, something more to say on that. But I just want to say at this point in time, the preliminary information is that there is no cause for panic from what we have at this point in time.”