Foreign workers, particularly those from East Asian countries, have become victims of infectious diseases in the UAE. Recently, hundreds of cases of dengue fever were reported among these workers, highlighting government negligence in providing adequate care.

International organizations have noted an unprecedented surge in locally transmitted dengue fever cases in the UAE, predominantly affecting foreign workers living in overcrowded and substandard accommodations under challenging conditions.

According to the Green Planet website, which focuses on climate change, recent extreme weather events have significantly contributed to the rise in dengue fever cases, raising alarm among health authorities.

The World Health Organization has declared the increase in cases a global emergency, emphasizing the growing threat posed by this mosquito-borne disease.

Dengue fever is not uncommon in the UAE, often appearing in cases brought by international travelers. However, a concerning development has emerged with widespread reports of locally transmitted cases since early 2023.

This increase is attributed to unprecedented rainfall in April, which caused widespread flooding and created optimal breeding conditions for dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

The UAE Ministry of Health has pointed to changing weather patterns and expanded mosquito habitats as direct factors behind these new cases.

Dengue fever, also known as “breakbone fever,” manifests with symptoms ranging from mild fever to severe complications such as bleeding, shock, and potentially death. While many people may remain asymptomatic, the outbreak poses a significant public health challenge.

Recently, a press investigation revealed that foreign workers in the Emirates are struggling to obtain health care at a time when severe floods in the country have left a fertile environment for mosquitoes to breed, making many workers contract diseases.

According to the investigation published by the British website Middle East Eye, a prolonged dengue outbreak following severe floods in the UAE disproportionately affects low-income migrant workers.

In April, the UAE experienced an unprecedented 254 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hours, marking the highest level recorded since 1945. The resulting floods caused the deaths of at least five people and inflicted damage on homes, businesses, and infrastructure.

The flooding also led to the formation of stagnant water pools, which became breeding grounds for mosquitoes carrying dengue fever—a viral infection transmitted from insects to humans. Symptoms of dengue fever include body aches, vomiting, nausea, and swollen glands.

A report from the non-governmental organization “Fair Square” highlighted that UAE authorities failed to address mosquito breeding sites in certain areas populated by migrant workers. This negligence contributed to serious illnesses among residents and hindered their access to healthcare.

In May, UAE authorities warned residents to avoid stagnant water caused by floods and to use mosquito repellents, after an influx of hospital patients suffering from fever and body aches. Dengue infection often causes mild symptoms, but they can sometimes be more severe.

To prevent the spread of mosquitoes, the UAE deployed nine specialized teams to eliminate 409 mosquito breeding sites.

But pools of stagnant water remained until late June in areas with high populations of migrant workers, including Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, and Ras Al Khaimah.

A migrant worker in Sonapur, a Dubai neighborhood home to 200,000 migrant workers, said floodwaters remained there for weeks after the floods.

“The main roads were cleared promptly, but areas like this have been dealing with stagnant water for a long time, leading to an influx of mosquitoes and various insects,” a worker reported.

An Indian construction worker informed Fair Square that he fell seriously ill in May. Although his company suggested he rest and take painkillers, he did not seek hospital treatment.

“I had a high fever and body aches,” he recounted. “Then I started vomiting a lot and couldn’t leave my bed for about twenty days. I wasn’t the only one; at least six or seven other people from [the work site] felt the same way.”

In Ajman, a Pakistani woman with limited health insurance also contracted dengue fever several weeks after the floods.

“I felt extremely ill,” she said. “My body felt like it was on fire… I asked my employers for some money to visit a better private clinic because I was in such bad shape, but they dismissed my symptoms as an illusion and told me to just rest.”

She said. “They were acting like they were doing me a favor by letting me rest.”

Meanwhile, a Ugandan security guard said his employer locked him in a room with five sick colleagues who were suffering from a rash, fever, body aches, and vomiting.

He said the employers did not take the situation seriously and contacted government authorities only after the workers said they wanted to return to their home countries.

Municipal officials then sent medical experts who advised the workers to rest and go to the hospital if they were particularly sick.

James Lynch of Fair Square said: “It is clear that certain areas of the country have been neglected in the response, particularly in terms of water disinfection.”

He stated that “deep structural reasons” contribute to the difficulty of immigrant communities obtaining health care, including dependence on employers for medical insurance and information.

He added that while some employers had good policies, it was a “lottery.”

Lynch stressed, “The UAE authorities must study how to enable workers to obtain health care on an equal basis so that the matter does not depend on the employer. “The best way to do this is to give people access to healthcare for free at the point of delivery.”

Dengue fever, most common in tropical climates, is on the rise around the world, partly due to climate change.