Yemen’s health workers race to halt latest outbreak of deadly dengue fever
Health workers in Mukalla, Yemen, are actively searching for mosquito breeding grounds to combat a surge in dengue fever and malaria. The team is inspecting stagnant water in urban areas to identify and control larvae populations.
Why it matters
The outbreak highlights the ongoing public health crisis in Yemen, where poor infrastructure and environmental conditions facilitate the spread of preventable tropical diseases.
Health workers are battling to contain the mosquito-borne disease amid growing concern over rising infections.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Salem bin Shabz, an insect surveillance officer, and his colleague collect water samples from an uncovered storage tank in Mukalla after identifying mosquito larvae that transmit dengue fever and malaria [Saeed Al-Batati/Al Jazeera] By Saeed Al Batati and Saeed Al Batati Published On 26 Jul 2026 26 Jul 2026 Mukalla, Yemen – Under the scorching sun and through heady humidity, Salem bin Shabz and his team of health workers move slowly through the narrow alleyways of Al-Koud, a densely populated slum in Yemen’s port city of Mukalla.
Every time they spot a pool of stagnant water, they stop and inspect the puddle. Armed with dippers and sample containers, they are on the hunt for mosquito breeding grounds amid an outbreak of the deadly dengue fever.
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