New Delhi, 25 September 2025 - The World Health Organization today called on countries in the South-East Asia Region to strengthen and coordinate action to prevent and control dengue and other arboviral diseases, which pose an escalating threat to public health.
“Dengue is a major public health challenge, with cases having surged at an unprecedented rate over the past four decades in the Region. The sharp increase in dengue and other arboviral diseases is being exacerbated by climate change, more frequent extreme weather events, rapid and unplanned urbanisation, population growth, global travel and trade, poor water, sewer, and waste management, inadequate vector control and public awareness, as well as shifts in dengue virus strains circulating across the Region. said Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia, at the three-day ‘Regional Technical Advisory Group (RTAG) and Programme Managers Meeting on Dengue and Arboviral Diseases.
The Regional Technical Advisory Group (RTAG) on dengue and other arboviruses was reconstituted in June 2025 to play an important role in reviewing the regional situation and progress in prevention, control, and management of dengue and other arboviral diseases and advising WHO on strategic directions, optimal strategies and policies for accelerating prevention, control and management of dengue and other arboviral diseases of public health importance, including integrated approaches wherever feasible.
Dengue is a viral infection transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes and, in severe cases, can be fatal. Dengue is now endemic in 128 countries, putting as many as 3.6 billion people at risk. In the WHO South-East Asia Region, more than 1.16 million cases and over 4 300 deaths were reported in 2023. Currently, nine of the ten Member States of the WHO South-East Asia Region, except DPR Korea, are endemic for dengue.
Other arboviral diseases are also a growing concern. Reported chikungunya outbreaks have increased in recent years. Sporadic Zika cases have also been reported in six countries of the Region. For these diseases, significant gaps remain in every aspect of prevention and control activities, including surveillance.
“We need to transition from a reactive, outbreak-centric approach to a programmatic strategy. We also need to expand capacity for other arboviral diseases. It is only then that we can build lasting resilience and reduce the cycle of repeated epidemics,” said Dr Boehme.
Strengthening health system capacity is central to this shift. This includes better case management, diagnostics, laboratory and surveillance infrastructure, entomology, and integrated vector control. Interdepartmental collaboration and community mobilisation are crucial.
To build momentum, experts, national programme managers, and partners at the meeting reviewed the latest draft of the Regional Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Dengue and other arboviral diseases. The plan envisions a Region free of dengue and other arboviral diseases, with stronger disease and vector surveillance and control, improved laboratory and clinical management capacity to ensure timely diagnosis and effective treatment; more robust risk communication and community engagement to build awareness and encourage early care seeking; and coordinated action across sectors to lower risks and strengthen response.
In 2023, WHO classified dengue as a Grade 3 emergency after outbreaks increased across the world. Given the scale of transmission, the risk of further international spread and complex drivers of the disease, the overall global risk remains high.
To strengthen response in the South-East Asia Region, WHO has scaled up initiatives to support Member States. A Regional Dengue Dashboard was launched to track trends and guide action. WHO has also introduced the WHO Academy e-learning course, ‘Clinical management of dengue patients in the South-East Asia Region.’ A dengue case management booklet for primary health care and home-based care has been published. In addition, a series of comprehensive case management training workshops for clinicians and nurses was conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Sri Lanka.
WHO remains committed to supporting countries through evidence-based guidance, technical expertise and coordinated action to reduce the burden of dengue and other arboviral diseases and achieve the vision of a healthier and safer Region and world.