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Cubans hope for a miracle as dengue and chikungunya spread

This year’s pilgrimage to the San Lázaro shrine in El Rincón, on the outskirts of Havana, is taking place amid a serious health crisis that has caused dozens of deaths and the collapse of the healthcare system

Marcel Villa

Havana - Dec 18, 2025 - 19:39CET

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The journey to the sanctuary is filled with people dressed in purple clothing, the symbolic color of Saint Lazarus and also of the orisha Babalú Aye, the Afro-Cuban deity with whom Saint Lazarus is identified. Marcel Villa

December 17 is the day dedicated to this religious figure shared by Catholicism and the Yoruba people. Believers travel long distances to reach the shrine.Marcel Villa

Some pilgrims crawl on their knees or even on their stomachs, with their bodies exposed to the sun and the pavement.Marcel Villa

On November 12, the Cuban government acknowledged the chikungunya and dengue epidemic for the first time, despite the first cases emerging in July and increasing in September and October. Red Cross personnel assist pilgrims in need.Marcel Villa

Deputy Minister of Public Health Carilda Peña reported that most of the deaths were among people under the age of 18. Of the total number of fatalities (52), 34 died from complications associated with chikungunya, while the rest died from dengue.Marcel Villa

Some pilgrims collapse on their journey due to the extreme nature of their penances.Marcel Villa

This year there are fewer believers on the pilgrimage due to the dengue and chikungunya health crisis, which has raised the death toll to 52 in the country.Marcel Villa

At the entrance to the church, priests bless the faithful, sometimes even via video call.Marcel Villa

The Pan-American Health Organization indicated that by the end of November, the total number of dengue infections in Cuba so far in 2025 had risen to 25,995.Marcel Villa

The increase in infections is exacerbated by the country's economic crisis, which complicates the care of the sick due to a lack of medicines and other health supplies. Marcel Villa

Near the shrine, the crowd grows denser, and once inside, the believers perform songs and dances that honor both the Catholic saint and his Yoruba counterpart.Marcel Villa

The dogs, present among the devotees, represent mercy and companionship in adversity. Marcel Villa

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