Highlights
Zika virus (ZIKV) has spread rapidly to at least 31 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean since 2015. Clusters of microcephaly and other neurological disorders reported in affected areas were declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by World Health Organization (WHO) on 1 February 2016. ZIKV is transmitted through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito that also transmits dengue and chikungunya. The symptoms are generally a mild fever usually accompanied by muscle or joint pain. There is no vaccine or treatment for the disease. The ZIKV outbreak intensified in October 2015 and there has been a surge of microcephaly in Brazil – a congenital malformation where babies are born with smaller than normal head size and underdeveloped brains that can lead to severe developmental disorders. While there is no definitive evidence linking the virus and microcephaly, there has been an abnormal increase of birth defects, with 863 confirmed cases of microcephaly or central nervous system (CNS) malformation reported by the Brazilian Ministry of Health from October 2015 through 16 March 2016. WHO has warned that the virus could infect as many as three to four million people within 12 months in the Americas. El Niño and La Niña weather phenomenon, and their impact on the environment and sanitation, are expected to aggravate the situation in 2016.
UNICEF’s Planned Response with partners:
- Prevent transmission of ZIKV through:
- Community engagement and community for development (C4D) strategies that will support behaviour adaptation for personal protection through.
Vector control (reducing breeding sites/vector density) and C4D activities through national capacity development of government institutions and NGO partners
Mitigate the impact on families:
Provide care and support to families, including multi-disciplinary management of microcephaly and other potential conditions.