Health Ministry aims to triumph over malaria scourge

Aug 22, 2010 News

The ambitious target of reducing malaria from more than 40,000 cases per year by 2000 to less than 8,000 cases by 2012 has been charted into the local Ministry of Health’s agenda. Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, in a statement issued yesterday said “significant progress was made to attain this goal, and by 2008 we had reduced the malaria incidence to less than 12,000 cases.”
However, he revealed that there were no further reductions in malaria cases last year, adding that at the present rate, “we might record a reversal and show an increase in malaria cases for 2010.”
The Ministry of Health, as a result, is working with the hinterland regions to ensure an aggressive fight against malaria to prevent an increase in cases this year, the Minister added. According to him, efforts are already being made to achieve the proposed objective. In addition he said that there will be a need to ensure a significant reduction of malaria cases in the last four months of this year. Currently the Ministry is in close contact with the Regions to ensure that “we take back control of the malaria situation.”
The Minister revealed that his Ministry has taken a decision to send a number of teams to various hinterland areas to provide support in this regard. And come Monday 11 teams will be deployed to Regions One, Two, Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten to provide support to the local health workers. The teams will initially work in the Region One areas of Matthews Ridge, Port, Kaituma and Arakaka; the Pomeroon River in Region Two; Upper Mazaruni and Middle Mazaruni, Puruni Localities, Oko, Arimu, Aranka, Arangai, Quartzs Stone, Tiger Creek, Mariwa in Region Seven; Mahdia, associated localities, Tumatumari to Konwaruk in Region Eight; North Rupununi and South Rupununi in Region Nine and localities in Region Ten.
The teams, according to the Minister, will assist the local authorities to conduct mass screening (MBS) in an active strategy to identify malaria cases in their early stages and to prevent any further transmission from infected persons. In addition, efforts will be made to actively seek fever cases and test these persons for malaria (FCS), the Minister added.
The Ministry of Health has ensured that enough medicines are in the system and “we will distribute another 5,000 long lasting insecticide impregnated mosquito nets (LLINS), Minister Ramsammy noted.
“We are moving towards a daily reporting of fever and malaria cases from 40 communities where the most malaria cases are coming from. The other sites will still report on a weekly basis,” the Minister asserted.
Malaria Community Councils, which have been working in these areas are also being asked to assist the local authorities in ensuring people are making more efforts to help in preventing transmission of malaria in their communities. In this regard, Minister Ramsammy said that the Ministry will be sending more posters and pamphlets to the communities for use by church organisations, employers and the schools. During the next week, “we will again be meeting with various groups, including the GGMC and the Forestry Commission. We want to assure everyone, the Ministry of Health will do everything so that we do not lose the gains we have made in the fight against malaria.” According to the Minister, the Ministry is determined not to fail in the quest to reduce malaria to an insignificant public health problem in Guyana by 2015.

Latest News

Health Ministry aims to triumph over malaria scourge

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | January, 27th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Olympic Kremlin crowned Horse-of-the-Year at One Guyana Thoroughbred...

Guyana Squash Association celebrates historic...

Western Tigers will be 50 this year ‘2025’

UG Honours outstanding athletes at Annual Sports...

East Bank Pool Club set to Cue Off 2025...

Guyana Police Force Senior Officers defeat...

Features/Columnists

The government is in choppy waters

OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus

Half price electricity by half year

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Health Ministry aims to triumph over malaria scourge

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | January, 27th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]