Malaria still out of control

Oct 03, 2009 News

The Ministry of Health is still having a difficult time controlling the malaria situation in Guyana, particularly in regions seven and eight.
This is according to Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, who told Kaieteur News yesterday that there are still areas in the two regions where malaria is abundant. He explained that people are also facing serious risks, as persons move from one area to the next due to mining.
Dr. Ramsammy noted that the statistics for the year so far, indicates that there is not a real reduction in the number of malaria cases compared to last year. Although the Health Ministry is having a hard time managing the virus, a number of health teams are in the various areas, dealing with the situation by distributing bed nets to residents, and at the same time, replacing the damaged nets that persons have.
In this regard, Minister Ramsammy said that people are not taking good care of the nets. He explained that some miners leave the mining community for Georgetown with the nets, and then return to the interior without it.
“We distribute these things for free to people and we cannot afford to give people one every time, simply because they forgot to walk with it,” Dr. Ramsammy said.
However, according to the Health Minister, while there is the infusion of more nets into the region to maintain status quo, it will not help in the further reduction of malaria and thus the Ministry will have to look at other strategies.
One of these strategies he said includes the use of residual spray. In this regard, come 2010, the Health Ministry will increase the capacity for residual spray in the hinterland regions.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry will soon host a consultation session with officials from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs and residents from the various regions, where the malaria issue will be extensively discussed.
Recently, the Health Ministry had reported that it was having a tough time in being able to keep the malaria situation under control in Guyana.
Dr Ramsammy had said that the situation is one that is increasing given the increased economic circumstances in Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine, where more mining activities are taking place.
According to the Health Minister, in many Amerindian communities, concessions are being given out by the villagers themselves.
In these areas, he noted that the way mining is done leaves breathing sites for the mosquitoes and this has provided a huge challenge for the Health Ministry.
“In some ways therefore, whilst the reduction in terms of malaria has been small compared to previous years, I think it’s a remarkable achievement that the health workers have been able to maintain the lower figures in the face of new breeding grounds being created,” Minister Ramsammy had explained. However, what is troubling at this point for the Ministry of Health has to do with the fact that out of the 6,700 malaria cases that have been recorded thus far, 51 per cent is of the more serious type of malaria.
This, Dr. Ramsammy said coincides with the kind of increase in the involvement of the private sector in selling of anti – malarial drugs.
At one time, the Health Ministry had succeeded in getting the private sector to desist from selling these drugs in the hinterland areas, since some of the drugs are not recommended drugs and people who use it do not want to be tested for malaria and the possibility highly exists that they may treat themselves with the wrong medication. Over the years, the Ministry has been involved in the provision of the long lasting impregnated nets, which has assisted in reducing malaria cases tremendously.
Thus far, 60,000 nets have been distributed in a number of regions and according to Minister Ramsammy, another 50,000 is being procured and will be distributed for free in parts of regions 2, 10 and 6 along with other Amerindian communities.

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