Colombia Declares National Health Emergency Amid Yellow Fever Surge

Since September last year, 75 cases have been documented, resulting in 34 fatalities.

Colombia Declares National Health Emergency Amid Yellow Fever Surge

DECK
Outbreak spreads across nine departments, prompting vaccine deployment and travel restrictions; President Petro vows full immunization in two months.

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KEY FACTS

• What: National health emergency due to a yellow fever outbreak.

• Where: Nine Colombian departments including Tolima, Meta, Caldas, Amazon basin, and Magdalena River region.

• When: Emergency declared Thursday, April 2025; cases traced back to September 2024.

• Casualties: 75 confirmed infections; 34 deaths.

• Government Action: Nationwide vaccine rollout, travel restrictions, and emergency response teams deployed.

• Opposition Reaction: Criticism over delayed response.

• Next Steps: President to hold a national broadcast and announce further measures Monday.

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SITUATION SNAPSHOT
Sunlight filters through the dense canopies of Colombia’s rural south, but beneath the green cover, concern spreads as fast as the infection. In isolated villages and bustling towns alike, health workers race to deliver vaccines, while yellow fever continues to claim lives and cross regional borders.

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WHAT WE KNOW
Colombia’s Ministry of Health declared a state of emergency following a spike in yellow fever infections attributed to the "active circulation" of the virus. Since September last year, 75 cases have been documented, resulting in 34 fatalities. Although traditionally confined to jungle and river regions like the Amazon and Magdalena basin, infections have now appeared in non-endemic areas such as Caldas—a key coffee-producing region.

Authorities had already flagged several regions before expanding the alert nationwide in anticipation of increased travel during Easter. The government has since introduced travel restrictions in high-risk zones and emphasized vaccination as the principal containment strategy.

President Gustavo Petro’s administration has sent over 20 rapid-response medical teams to investigate and manage transmission. Hospitals in each region have been instructed to prepare for possible surges in patients.

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WHAT’S NEXT
A national cabinet broadcast is scheduled for Monday, during which Petro will outline additional containment efforts and present the latest epidemiological data. The government is also preparing to declare an economic emergency to free up resources for rapid immunization and health infrastructure reinforcement.

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VOICES ON THE GROUND
“In two months, the entire Colombian population must be vaccinated against yellow fever,” — President Gustavo Petro posted on X. “We must do this, and our health system must guarantee it.”

“We have already asked each territorial entity to have a hospital to which people suffering from the disease can go, so that we can exercise clear and definitive control over them from there,” — Health Minister Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo told local outlets.

“It is unacceptable for the government to declare a health and economic emergency for yellow fever when the crisis started six months ago,” — Senator Paloma Valencia, Democratic Center Party.

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CONTEXT
Yellow fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease, often causes no symptoms. When symptoms do appear, they may include fever, nausea, and headache. While most recover within days, some patients enter a second, more severe phase, marked by jaundice and abdominal pain. According to the World Health Organization, up to 50% of those who reach this stage die within a week to ten days.

There is no antiviral cure; treatment involves hydration, rest, and supportive care. The WHO continues to stress the importance of immunization, recommending a single-dose vaccine for everyone older than nine months. Colombia provides this vaccine for free.

Historically, yellow fever outbreaks have been rare in higher-altitude or urban areas, making the emergence of cases in the Caldas region particularly alarming for public health experts. Climate shifts, increased human movement, and urban mosquito adaptation may be factors behind the virus's spread.

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REPORTER INSIGHT
From Tolima’s heat-stricken plains to Caldas’ misty hills, the race to vaccinate plays out in a patchwork of urgency and caution. In field clinics, parents clutch vaccine cards and children wince beneath cotton swabs, while rumors and worry ripple across communities. The government’s actions may be late for some, but for many, they offer a second chance at protection.