By Lagi Keresoma/

Apia, Samoa – 31 July 2025: A 5-year-old girl is the latest to have lost her fight against dengue fever which brings the number of deaths to three.

The Deputy Director of the Paediatric Ward at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole (TTM) hospital, Ulugia Dr. Tito Kamu confirmed that the victim was admitted at the Lufilufi District Hospital before she was transferred to TTM yesterday where she passed on.

Ulugia said it is very important to contain a patient’s fever and keep them hydrated to avoid bleeding hence his suggestion to parents to use the boiled papaya leaves – lauesi mixture to help increase platelets in the child’s blood system.

He also urged families and parents to bring the child to the hospital at an early stage and not wait until it reaches a severe condition.

The latest dengue fever outbreak update recorded 521 new cases in addition to the 16,000 overall cases as of Monday this week forcing the closing of all schools and the continuation of a national fumigation program.

Samoa has been monitoring dengue fever cases since January before declaring an outbreak in April.

The outpatient ward at TTM is now operating 24 hours to cater for the public and on-call and clinical doctors have been recalled to attend to the growing number of dengue fever cases.