Major treated net distribution to commence next month

May 27, 2018 News

campaign designed to combat scourge of malaria in endemic regions

Free distribution of 91,000 insecticide treated bed and hammock nets will begin early next month. This is according to information shared by Vector Control Services [VCS] officials within the Ministry Public Health.

The distribution campaign will be one targeting four interior Regions well-known as hubs for malaria transmission.

The 91,000 Long-Lasting Insecticide-treated Nets [LLINs] were procured with financial backing from the Guyana government and Global Fund.

Dr. Horace Cox, Director [ag] of the VCS, gave the breakdown as 57,000 slated for permanent residents and the remaining 34,000 for the mobile population comprising mainly miners and loggers in the four endemic [malaria] regions.

The distribution campaign of LLINs will be spearheaded by the Ministry’s National Malaria Programme [NMP] during the period June 3 through 9 in the Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo [Region Nine].

It is expected that it will done in time to beat the annual heavy rainfall, which triggers flooding and other hardships including transportation.

Distribution of LLINs will then move to Region Seven [Cuyuni/Mazaruni] from June 10 to June 16; followed by sharing from June 17 to June 23 in Barima/Waini [Region One] and concluding in Potaro/Siparuni [Region Eight] in the week of June 24.

In the last five years, Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine have accounted for more than 95 percent of all malaria cases in Guyana. The Ministry has begun coordinating transportation of the LLINs to the interior Regions with assistance from the Guyana Defence Force [GDF]; the Guyana Forestry Commission [GFC]; the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association [GGDMA]; the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission [GGMC];and the National Miners Syndicate [NMS] of Guyana [a grouping of 14 smaller syndicates] headed by Ms. Cheryl Williams.

According to the last Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey [MICS] carried out here in 2014, only 31 percent of the population that reside in the malaria endemic Regions had access to LLINs. Almost 70 percent of the population moreover was in danger of contracting malaria since they did not have this core preventative tool used as a barrier to malaria transmission. This was of concern to the Health Ministry and by extension government.

According to the World Health Organization [WHO] the use of LLINs has contributed significantly to the reduction of the global incidence of malaria during the past decade. For Guyana, this means there is an important need to increase coverage and use of preventative measures, particularly LLINs, in the country.

The Public Health Ministry has listed Universal coverage – access and use – to LLINs as a priority goal for the populations at risk for malaria in Guyana. The term ‘Universal’ suggests that the target is for 100 percent of the population to sleep under a LLIN every night, which is in fact the ideal goal for the planned distribution campaign.

However, it is generally accepted that a coverage of 80 percent of the population sleeping under LLINs every night is considered as the minimum coverage needed to have an impact on malaria transmission among the ‘at-risk’ population.

According to Ministry information, the anti-malaria campaign faces several push-backs including the fact that there is limited access to health services in some villages within the four ‘endemic regions.

In some instances, the nearest health service may be miles away from the villages forcing residents to utilise alternative treatment such as bush medicines.

“Self-treatment is common in Guyana and may be a contributing factor to artemisinin resistance,” a study on the issue here found.

However, there are also other challenges to containing the spread of malaria in the four targeted areas. A major one is said to be the attitude of residents in the endemic regions, according to the study too. The study deduced that “people do not use repellents when they are exposed to mosquito bites during the hours before bed time.”

Further, the findings revealed that “permanent and mobile residents do not complete the recommended dose of treatment even though the treatment is free.”

It found too that some residents abandon the treatment “the moment they feel better while others keep the left-over treatment for the next round of infection or share it with their neighbours, who might have contracted the mosquito-borne ailment.”

It has also been found that interior residents have been spending longer hours outside at nights and often fail to utilise clothing that can help to reduce their risk of infection.

The architecture of interior houses is yet another major hindrance to the country’s ongoing anti-malaria fight since, according to the study, “rudimentary offer very little protection from mosquito bites thereby increasing the risk of infection and possible transmission.”

Added to this, the study deduced that some patients are in fact illegal immigrants from countries sharing the border with Guyana and are operating without licence in the mining and logging industries and are understandably fearful of seeking help at the nearest government health facility lest they run the risk of facing the local law-enforcement system.

Under the NMP monitoring of LLINs, distribution will be “on-going and continuous, working to ensure that planned distribution activities are completed in the specified time and meeting the stated objectives,” according to information shared by the Ministry.

Further, Ministry officials have revealed that, “All distribution will have an assigned supervisor/activity lead who will be responsible for overseeing the implementation, reporting and other activity-specific work.”