UNITAR Highlights Capacity Development for Dengue Preparedness at World Dengue Day High-Level Event

UNITAR was represented by Ms. Ebru Canan-Sokullu, Acting Head of the Health and Development Programme, who highlighted the importance of capacity development as a practical foundation for dengue preparedness and response. UNITAR's contribution focused on the need to strengthen individual and institutional capacities. Dengue preparedness depends not only on awareness, but also on trained health workers, stronger diagnostic and laboratory systems, effective surveillance and early warning mechanisms, locally adapted mosquito control and informed communities able to take preventive action.

UNITAR's engagement on dengue sits at the intersection of its work on health and development, water, climate resilience and sustainable development. Through its Health and Development Programme, the UNITAR Global Water Academy and the International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders (CIFAL) Global Network, UNITAR supports learning and capacity development across sectors that are central to dengue prevention and preparedness.

Dengue is a shared challenge and preparedness is our most powerful form of prevention. The real gap is a capacity gap - in clinical case management, laboratory and diagnostic testing, surveillance and mosquito control, and community engagement. UNITAR's commitment is to bridge that gap. - Ms. Canan-Sokullu

The discussion brought in regional perspectives on how dengue risk is changing in practice. Speakers shared examples from countries and regions already facing expanding transmission, including the use of One Health frameworks, field epidemiology, climate-informed risk analysis and new tools for outbreak detection and response. These contributions helped ground the global call to action in the operational realities faced by countries and frontline public health teams.