(VOVworld) - The head of the World Health Organization has warned of a long, difficult battle against the mosquito-borne Zika virus.
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| The director general of the World Health Organization Margaret Chan (L), and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, hold a meeting to talk about the Zika virus at Planalto Palace in Brasilia, on February 23, 2016 (AFP Photo/Evaristo Sa) |
During a visit to Brazil, Margaret Chan praised the Brazilian government's efforts to stamp out mosquitoes and its coordination with various international bodies, including the WHO and the International Olympic Movement, ahead of the Olympic Games.
President Dilma Rousseff reiterated Brazil’s commitment to continued cooperation in the fight against diseases caused by the Aedes mosquito.
Brazil is at the center of a Zika outbreak, with 1.5 million people infected, and authorities have also recorded a spike in microcephaly, a congenital condition that causes abnormally small heads and hampers brain development. Colombia has reported 37,000 infected cases, including over 6,300 pregnant women.