Vector Control Unit responds to suspected malaria outbreak in Region 10

Mar 28, 2015 News

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Mounting concerns about a possible malaria outbreak in Region 10 resulted in

a team from the Ministry of Health’s Vector Control Services Unit heading to that section of the country in recent days.
Led by the Vector Control Director, Dr. Reyaud Rahman, the team ventured to the Region 10 localities of Mabura, 58 Miles and 47 Miles.
According to Dr. Rahman, the Ministry was alerted to the concerns by residents of the aforementioned communities who had earlier appealed for the Vector Control Services Unit to visit the area in order to ascertain whether the malaria-like symptoms being transmitted, particularly within the 58 Miles zone, was indeed malaria.
Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease transmitted by the female anopheles mosquito.
The mosquito is said to be endemic in the mining Regions of One, Seven, Eight and Nine.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the symptoms of

malaria include: fever and flu-like illness and can include shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea may also occur.
Speaking to this publication of the visit, Dr. Rahman pointed out that “the main reason to visit the community was to hear the concerns of the residents and where possible help them with technical concerns as well.”
And residents turned out in their numbers when the team visited villages throughout 58 and 47 Miles, which according to Dr. Rahman, suggested that “the residents are serious about their health.”
But in order to better enlighten the residents on the national vector control state of affairs, Dr. Rahman delivered an informative presentation which did not only focus on malaria but also the Chikungunya Virus. “They wanted to know about these diseases and how they can protect themselves,” observed the Vector Control Director as he alluded to a question and answer segment which catered to a very interactive discourse with the residents.
During that very discourse Dr. Rahman made a commitment to ensure that an officer visits the target communities to further sensitise residents about vector control measures, prevention, control and the safety of chemical use. The residents of 47 Miles were very eager to have a health worker at their health facility trained to undertake malaria microscopy in order to test for malaria there. This was in light of the fact, that a number of persons, who manifest malaria symptoms, are forced to travel from mining districts all the way to Linden so that they can be diagnosed and secure further treatment.
The Demerara Timber Health Centre was also visited by the team during which, the nurses there expressed appreciation that the team from Central Georgetown had taken time out from their usually busy schedule to hear firsthand of the concerns of those in Region 10. They also related their own concerns about a number of patients contracting malaria.
As part of the strategic plan to tackle the suspected outbreak, Dr. Rahman said that activities were streamlined including a refresher malaria course to ensure that the health workers at the Mabura Health Post, is prepared to effectively deal with any patient who presents with symptoms of the disease. “This is to ensure that diagnosis is of a high standard,” said Dr. Rahman as he went on to disclose that during the visit, health facilities, pregnant women and children under five were given Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs), to ensure that they were protected from malaria.”  He however, noted that the treated bed nets also have the capability to safeguard the users from other vector borne diseases.
As part of plans to sustain collaboration with the Region, Dr. Rahman said that he will maintain a line of communication with the regional authorities, so as to ensure the commitments made will be fulfilled.
Based on his assurance, a senior vector control officer from Georgetown is slated to visit the Region shortly, and it is expected that all participants from the recent community meetings will gather in order to be further enlightened about vector control methods. “We will make available a small fogging machine and the Senior Vector Control Services Officer, will ensure that it is used correctly before bringing it back to Georgetown…all chemicals will be supplied by us and materials will be given for the operation,” said Dr. Rahman. “The initiative is seen as a huge success by the community and they are very excited to start working and getting their communities even more healthy,” added the Vector Control Director.
The Ministry through the Vector Control Services Unit has been working assiduously to reduce the prevalence of malaria.
Over the past year approximately 150,000 individuals from mining communities were tested for malaria. And according to the Vector Control Director, because of intensified efforts to tackle the disease over the past few years, the cases of malaria have been slashed by more than half.  A few years ago the number of malaria cases was more than 30,000.
Dr. Rahman is therefore optimistic that the ongoing vigilant efforts, will see the cases being lowered to as little as 10,000 next year and according to him, “that is going to be a significant help to us as we work towards bringing malaria down to less than 1,000 cases in the next five years.”

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