Vector Control Director emphasises importance of investment

Apr 06, 2014 News

– as World Health Day observance nears

Investment in the fight against vector borne diseases is not only a wise but absolutely necessary move in order to safeguard the population.
This notion is being particularly amplified by the Ministry of Health’s Director of Vector Control Services, Dr Reyaud Rahman, even as Guyana and the rest of the world prepare to celebrate World Health Day 2014.

Director of Vector Control Services, Dr Reyaud Rahman

World Health Day is observed annually on April 7th and this year the observance is embracing the slogan “Small Bites, Big Threats.”
And according to Dr Rahman, this slogan precisely and directly captures the essence of the Ministry of Health’s attitude of the seriousness of vector borne diseases in Guyana. In fact he underscored that this slogan represents “a call to protect and preserve that which we hold most dear – the health and wellbeing of our loved ones.”
Vector borne diseases, he reminded, are transmitted by insect vectors such as mosquitoes, flies, triatomine bugs, lice, fleas and ticks, among others. These are known to affect over 100 countries, thereby causing half of the world’s population to be at risk, a situation that is mainly due to social and environmental factors.
Moreover, vector borne diseases, Dr Rahman said, account for 17 per cent of the global burden of all infectious diseases worldwide.
Of all vector borne diseases, malaria accounts for 627,000 deaths worldwide with the majority of deaths coming from Africa, and according to the Vector Control Director, in Guyana the most problematic vector borne disease is also malaria which accounts for thousands of cases annually.
However, he noted that the fastest growing vector borne disease happens to be dengue fever which has increased by 30 fold over the last 50 years worldwide.
Added to the well known threats of malaria and dengue, Guyana has also put measures in place to combat the looming threat of the Chikungunya Virus, yet another vector borne disease that has already struck sections of the Caribbean and South America.
The vector threat, Dr Rahman said, is likely to escalate further in light of the ever occurring climate change situation. As such, he stressed the need for the vector control fight to be sustained, a state of affairs that requires continuous investment. “Let us recognize that investing in the fight against vector borne diseases is a wise and necessary investment as we have climate change, apart from other factors, which invariably means that vector habitats are altered.”
Further, he noted that expansive vector control work is required in light of the increasing number of persons venturing into interior locations for mining, logging and other commercialised activities. “This development exposes individuals, thereby putting them at high risk for contracting malaria or other vector borne diseases. And since there is no greater act of love to those we care about than protecting them from harm, we must work towards keeping all Guyanese safe and healthy through new and ambitious ways to better protect our at risk population,” Dr Rahman underscored.
He disclosed that already the Health Ministry has undertaken vigorous active field work and engaged a number of strategic plans including having in place apt treatment guidelines and forging strengthened private sector partnerships. Additionally, efforts are continuously being made, Dr Rahman said, to educate and update at risk populations about the vector borne diseases threat.
In helping to protect the at risk populations, he informed that efforts are directed regularly to the distribution of long lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN’s), with over 55,000 of these being distributed last year and 70,000 slated for distribution this year. “These are some of the necessary steps which are being carried out throughout our endemic malarious regions to effectively fight vector borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, leishmaniasis, filaria, chagas disease etc.,” said Dr Rahman.
He noted too that while the root of poverty is multifaceted and is influenced by numerous factors, one fact remains undisputed across cultural, national, and geographic boundaries is that it is the poor who are worst affected both by the severity and frequency of diseases. As such he emphasised the need for attention to be focused on preventing major risk factors.
Accordingly, Dr Rahman has highlighted the growing need for more individuals, community groups, international and civil society organisations, to play a greater role in the fight against vector borne diseases in Guyana. “We must bear in mind that every step we take towards making healthier citizens result in several more that lead to greater social and financial stability, and ultimately a more prosperous community and greater nation,” is the voiced conviction of the Vector Control Director.