Schools close as 16,000 Dengue Fever cases recorded

By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, Samoa – 29 July 2025: A fumigation operation resumed this week covering all schools along with other high-risk areas as part of a nationwide dengue response.

This is in addition to a national clean-up campaign last Saturday, mobilizing villages and communities to clean their surroundings and eliminate mosquito breeding grounds as part of the nationwide dengue response.

The dengue fever outbreak has so far recorded 16,000 cases and has forced all schools to be closed.

The Deputy Director of the Pediatric Ward at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole (TTM) hospital, Ulugia Dr. Tito Kamu said the number of cases continue to rise and the most vulnerable age group is from 1 to 15 years old hence their request to the Ministry of Education for a school break while all school facilities are properly fumigated.

He said the clinical unit used to see 60 patients but that has since risen to 200 cases per shift which is a huge jump.

He said the hospital records 300 to 400 cases per week, and his concern is that the hospital is almost out of medicine.

He is encouraging the use of papaya leaf – lauesi mixture which has been widely used to treat the fever saying the patients admitted at the hospital who took the homemade medicine were cured.

He said the lauesi mixture helps increase platelets in the blood system.

Ulugia said once dengue reaches its peak, they then concentrate on clinical diagnostic symptoms such as fever, lack of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, sore joints and bleeding.

He also confirmed that the outpatient ward has started operating on a 24hour basis and is urging the public to utilize the opportunity to bring children in early to be treated.

He said that the hospital is managing and they have to pull-in public health doctors and call-in senior doctors on call to assist.

“There are 120 doctors in clinics and 8 at the outpatients and they work 8 hours sometimes 12 hours,” he said.

There are also cases recorded in Savaii but not as serious as the ones recorded in Upolu.