Relatively recent estimates of the per capita costs for vector control have been estimated to be between $0.02 and $3.56 dollars (Beatty et al., 2011), which would translate into $1.1 to $200 million for these three countries (IMF, 2012); however, vector control costs would probably be towards the low end because the climate is naturally hostile towards a. aegypti and dengue is endemic only to limited regions of Saudi Arabia and Yemen. In terms of percent gross domestic product (GDP), a $1 million dollar annual vector control program would represent 1.7x10?6 and 3.0x10?5 of the GDP in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, respectively.
Global Health Policies for Dengue Control
The WHO has identified three goals to be achieved by 2020 for global dengue prevention and control and these are: (1) 50% reduction in mortality, (2) 25% reduction in morbidity, and (3) determine the true burden of the disease (WHO, 2012). The technical elements cited as critical for achieving these goals are improved disease management, partnerships, surveillance, vector control, and communications. The partnerships that the WHO has identified as essential are broad, from national health ministries, private providers, non-governmental organizations, and community leaders. Essentially, controlling and preventing dengue in the Middle East will require the creation of a dengue health and vector control infrastructure.
In Saudi Arabia, such an infrastructure is being built (Ministry of Health, 2012). One of the primary sources of dengue in the Kingdom is the influx of Muslim pilgrims during the Hajj and a hospital has been built to handle patients with dengue and other infection diseases. By contrast, efforts to control dengue in Yemen seem primitive by contrast (Al-Maqtari, 2012).
Conclusions
Dengue is endemic to the Middle East along the southern coastal regions of the Red and Arabian Seas. Efforts to control and prevent the disease in Saudi Arabia are ongoing (Ministry of Health, 2009; 2012), but comparatively primitive in Yemen. Importantly, controlling and preventing dengue in the Arabian Peninsula should be inexpensive and effective for most of the region, but more difficult for urban areas along the route to Mecca.
References
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Ministry of Health. (2012). King Faisal Hospital in Makkah completes its preparations for the Pilgrims' health care. Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Retrieved 27 Mar. 2013 from http://www.moh.gov.sa/en/Hajj/News/Pages/News-2012-10-21-02.aspx.
Nathan, Michael B., Dayal-Drager, Renu, and Guzman, Maria. (2009). Chapter 1. Epidemiology, burden of disease and transmission. In K. Ciceri and P. Tissot (Eds.), Dengue: Guidelines for Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention and Control, (pp. 1-21). Geneva, Switzerland: WHO Press.
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