China hastens to help Guyana combat Zika Virus

Jun 01, 2017 News

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It was just last week that Public Health Minister, Ms. Volda Lawrence, brought to the attention of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, that Guyana, despite valiant efforts, continues to be vulnerable to mosquito-borne diseases.
The Minister had pointed out that vast borders, coupled with the freedom of movement of especially the peoples of the Amazons, have contributed to Guyana being faced with the ever-growing threat of the introduction of diseases the likes of Chikungunya and Zika.
A week later, China is offering to help tackle this challenge. This is according to information that has been disseminated by the Public Health Ministry.
Reports are that Shen Huiyong, China’s Economic and Commercial Counsellor, based at the local Chinese Embassy, has informed that “support for Guyana’s public health sector is priority for China.”
In a statement, the Public Health Ministry said that Shen assured Minister Lawrence on Tuesday of China’s commitment to the health sector during a meeting at her Brickdam, Georgetown office.
Shen, it was further revealed, said that China is even ready to provide grants to construct new hospitals here or to refurbish others and also provide training for health sector workers.
His disclosure was forthcoming even as he introduced a four-member expert team who are currently here on a four-week stay to help Guyana’s strategic fight against the Zika virus.
It has been revealed that while in Guyana, the experienced medical team will help with the training of local medical employees about Zika virus control and strategies. The team has reportedly also promised to conduct an epidemiological survey and undertake surveillance for the Zika virus which is transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito. In addition to the Zika virus and dengue fever, this mosquito can also transmit Chikungunya.
In 1947, scientists probing the yellow fever virus in the Zika forest of Uganda stumbled upon what they described as a “hitherto unrecorded virus” in a rhesus monkey. They named the new virus after the location in which it was discovered – Zika.
It was early last year that Guyana confirmed its first cases of the Zika virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms consistent with the Zika virus include fever, rash, joint pain, and or conjunctivitis. Other known symptoms are muscle pain, headache, pain behind the eyes and vomiting.
However, the World Health Organisation has since linked the virus to microcephaly, a condition where babies have unusually small heads and underdeveloped brains. There have also been claims that the Zika virus can cause progressive muscle weakness that can lead to temporary paralysis.
China has moreover offered to have its visiting team do laboratory tests for Zika virus-specific RNA and antibody detection. RNA or Ribonucleic Acid is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation, and expression of genes.
According to information out of the Public Health Ministry, during the month-long visit, the Chinese medical team will also execute technical training programmes to boost the skills of local health workers in the Zika virus eradication effort.
Minister Lawrence has lauded the Chinese Government for “its quick response” to Guyana’s plea for help in the Zika virus fight citing its ramifications for the regional fight against vector-borne diseases.
“This aspect of health is very important to us,” Minister Lawrence noted, as she expressed appreciation. The Minister also took the opportunity to share with the visiting team that she is particularly interested in capacity-building of the nation’s laboratory.
Moreover, Shen agreed Tuesday to broker a close-door meeting between Minister Lawrence and Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Cui Jianchun, to fine tune additional areas of cooperation between the two countries in the health sector.
Guyana and China established diplomatic relations in 1972. Some two months ago, the two countries brokered a cooperation pact, and Minister Lawrence used Tuesday’s meeting to emphasize that “the Chinese are part of us”.

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