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‘Guyana targets zero leprosy by 2030’ — as health minister reaffirms commitment
(Kaieteur News) – Government has reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating leprosy by 2030, as the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday launched a Subregional Leprosy Training Workshop in Georgetown.
The five-day workshop, held at PAHO’s Guyana Country Office, brings together participants from eight countries for intensive sessions designed to strengthen clinical, laboratory, and surveillance systems across the region, the Ministry of Health said in a press release. It focuses on improving early case detection, accurate diagnosis, treatment, and patient follow-up, all critical elements in meeting the global leprosy elimination goal.
Delivering the feature address, Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony commended PAHO for leading the regional effort and emphasised that while Guyana has made major strides in controlling the disease, the ultimate goal remains complete eradication. “We have made significant strides in controlling leprosy, but our goal is total elimination,” Dr. Anthony said. “This workshop is timely, as it will equip our health professionals with the tools and knowledge needed to identify and treat cases early, and to ensure that stigma does not hinder care and rehabilitation.”
The minister also noted that Guyana’s Ministry of Health continues to scale up national programmes targeting other priority conditions such as epilepsy and cervical cancer — the latter being the second most common cancer among women in Guyana. The workshop combines theoretical learning with hands-on clinical practice, supervised laboratory work, and modules on prevention, documentation, and patient rehabilitation. It also supports the formulation of updated national strategies aligned with global elimination frameworks.
According to PAHO, the initiative underscores the organisation’s ongoing commitment to strengthening national health systems, reducing disease burden, and advancing universal access to care across the Americas. “Through shared expertise and regional collaboration, we are building the capacity needed to achieve a future where leprosy is no longer a public health concern,” PAHO representatives stated.
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