Training to reduce breeding sites and risk of diseases in earthquake-affected Venezuela

Last Friday, MENTOR delivered training on reducing vector breeding sites and the risk of diseases for shelter managers in Miranda State where people affected by the earthquakes are temporarily living. The training focused on how community awareness and engagement are key to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in emergency settings. MENTOR and the WASH […]

Earthquakes in Venezuela

Following the earthquakes in Venezuela last Wednesday, MENTOR teams in the country have been assessing the situation and responding to the most urgent health needs. This includes supporting one of the few hospitals still operational in La Guaira by supplying essential medical consumables to meet increased patient demand and the growing need for trauma care. […]

World Dengue Day

Urgent action is needed to stop the spread of dengue – especially in humanitarian settings where inadequate waste management and poor sanitation increase the risk of transmission. This World Dengue Day we are calling for sustained, resourced programmes integrating vector control; water, sanitation and hygiene; and community-based healthcare to reduce the suffering caused by dengue […]

Warning about the impact of funding cuts on mosquito-borne diseases

On World Mosquito Day we are sounding the alarm about the potential impact of funding cuts on global health programmes that prevent and treat mosquito-borne diseases. Already the effects are being felt across the world, hitting those in most vulnerable humanitarian settings the hardest. There is a real risk progress will stall, cases of diseases […]

Aedes prevention in Venezuela

Community cleaning days targeting the removal of even the smallest containers in Venezuela are preventing the spread of infectious diseases by reducing the waste in which the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes breed. In urban areas solid waste management and removing potential breeding sites is critical to prevent the diseases Aedes mosquitoes transmit such as dengue, Zika […]

World NTD Day 2025

MENTOR works in some of the most vulnerable settings to prevent and treat neglected tropical diseases, a group of diseases that affect more than 1 billion people worldwide. Together with our partners we are helping to reduce the harm and suffering from NTDs in communities disproportionately affected by a lack of healthcare, climate change, and […]

World Dengue Day

The dengue crisis continues to grow at an alarming rate in Latin America and the Caribbean – 8.4 million cases have been reported in this region so far this year. (UN) The risk of dengue is especially high for people in urban areas who live near the breeding sites of the Aedes mosquito, which are […]

World NTD Day 2024

The MENTOR Initiative has been working to reduce the burden of Neglected Tropical Diseases for around 13 years across a wide range of contexts. Conflict, displacements, flooding, and a lack of infrastructure are some of the challenges our teams have faced to ensure NTD control activities reach underserved communities with limited access to healthcare.  Working […]

Dengue control in Venezuela

Poor sanitary conditions caused by the ongoing economic and political crisis in Venezuela have exacerbated the rapid spread of dengue fever in urban settings. This puts many people at risk from this dangerous arboviral disease, which infects an estimated 100-400 million people every year (source: WHO). The Aedes mosquito that transmits dengue breeds easily in […]

Hygiene promotion for children in Venezuela

A programme recently implemented in Venezuela is raising awareness about the importance of good hygiene to help protect children from diseases. The MENTOR Initiative is working with educational partners in seven states to establish good hygiene habits in children. This is done through promoting messages about hand washing, safe water consumption and clean environments. Thanks […]