“We don’t even have chlorine to clean”

In the supermarkets, the shelves remain empty, the government and the Opposition deliver fight a fierce power, due to the extreme crime, hardly anyone dares in the evening, on the road: Venezuela is in a deep crisis. Now, scientists are sounding the Alarm, because in the South American country of many infectious diseases to spread again in an uncontrolled manner.

Venezuela was once regarded as a model in the decline of pathogens, but has thrown in break of the health system of the country. Especially diseases that are transmitted by insects that could spread in the past few years, researchers report in the journal “Lancet Infectious Diseases”. These include Malaria, Dengue fever and Zika Virus.

Alone the number of malaria infections has increased from nearly 30,000 in 2010 to more than 411.000 in the year 2017. “Given the lack of Monitoring, diagnosis and prevention measures, these Figures estimate is very likely the real Situation,” warns one of the lead authors of the study, Martin Llewellyn of the University of Glasgow. “The increase of cases of malaria, could soon become uncontrollable.” Reasons for the decline in combating the mosquito populations, and the lack of drugs.

“Efforts to eradicate diseases, to undermine”

Malaria is one of the most common infectious diseases worldwide. The pathogen is transmitted by mosquitoes. According to the world health organization (WHO) sufferers in 2017 to approximately 219 million people in 90 countries of the world, Malaria, 435.000 people died from it. The majority of fatalities are children under five years of age.

Also, the number of cases of Dengue fever and infections with the Zika Virus have increased, according to the study. “The re-emergence of numerous infectious diseases leads to a public health crisis in Venezuela and the regional efforts for the eradication of diseases could undermine,” write the authors of the study.

In Venezuela continued with its then still in sound health system for a long time the standards in the fight against infectious diseases in the Region. In 1961, it was the first country whose cities were declared by the WHO for malaria-free. For some years, Venezuela suffers from a severe supply crisis. Due to lack of foreign exchange, it can introduce hardly any food, medicine, and hygiene items.

Help is blocked

“The situation is critical: We don’t have drugs, we have no Material,” said the internist Ana Vielma from the hospital Algodonal in the past week in protests in Caracas. They demanded that the government of controversial President, Nicolás Maduro, to allow humanitarian aid into the country.

On the border food, medicines and hygiene items for the needy population. However, Maduro blocked the supplies, because he thinks it’s a pretext for military Intervention. The self-appointed interim President, Juan Guaidó want to get the goods on the weekend, along with Thousands of helpers into the country.

“We don’t even have chlorine, to clean,” said Mauro Zambrano of the hospital Union. “Therefore, the bacteria multiply. The patient will come in with a disease in the clinic and go with a different out of it.”

The health crisis in Venezuela could lead to a Problem for the whole Region. Last year, around 5500 Venezuelans have left per day on average, your home – often you are likely to have diseases in the neighbouring countries took. In the Brazilian border region of Roraima, for example, the number of introduced malaria cases between 2014 and 2017, doubled.

“We call on the members of the organization of American States and other international institutions to increase the pressure on the Venezuelan government to accept the offered humanitarian aid,” said a scientist, Llewellyn. “Without the efforts could be made in the last 18 years, the progress made in the field of public health care, soon to be undone.”