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Guyana seeing the end of several targeted health conditions – Minister Anthony
(Kaieteur News) – Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony has highlighted Guyana’s historic progress in tackling long-standing public health challenges, noting that the country is finally “seeing the end of the tunnel” for several targeted conditions.
Dr. Anthony addressed the National Consultation on the Integrated Disease Elimination Strategy, urging stakeholders to completely shift their mindset from mere disease control to total, validated elimination.
Reflecting on the country’s progress with Lymphatic Filariasis (filaria), the Minister recalled the long journey from historical treatments to modern triple therapy, saying, “We are now seeing to the end of the tunnel and hopefully with the focus areas that we have. That will then put us on the pathway of getting certification that we have eliminated filaria.”
He reminded the forum of the disease’s deep roots in Guyana, adding, “There’s a very rich history with filaria in this country, but hopefully we can eliminate it and close that chapter.”
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony
Addressing leprosy, the Dr. Anthony pointed out that, while national figures are low, localised efforts must continue.
“While looking at the numbers at the national level, we can say safely that we have eliminated leprosy, but we still have maybe about 30-something cases and they’re in specific areas. We need to work on those specific areas, again, close that chapter,” he said, reflecting on the country’s medical past including the historical leprosarium at Kaow Island.
The Minister also demanded a critical shift in how the country tackles malaria, which remains endemic in four regions. Dr. Anthony concluded by reminding the committee that their role is to actively guide these technical results rather than meeting in an ad-hoc manner, emphasising the lasting impact of their work.
On Wednesday, Minister Anthony told healthcare providers at the HEARTS in the Americas Regional Quality Improvement Workshop held in Georgetown of Guyana’s aggressive strategy to modernise its healthcare infrastructure through international collaborations, institutional quality frameworks, and strict adherence to clinical guidelines.
Minister Anthony underscored the vital importance of strategic international collaborations, noting that partnerships with global institutions like Harvard have directly translated into tangible benefits for the local population.
He revealed that while Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine coverage for individuals aged 9 to 15 hovered around 60% globally just two years ago, Guyana’s intensive efforts have seen coverage climb to between 60% and 90% this year. The Ministry aims to hit a comprehensive 90% coverage rate by next year.
“Through our strategic collaboration, we have been able to source and subsidise the vaccine significantly, making it accessible to our population instead of paying the standard market rate of $360 per dose,” Dr. Anthony stated.
Reflecting on the evolution of infectious disease management, the Minister noted that previous protocols required lengthy diagnostic pipelines between clinics and hospitals.
“Today, strategic sourcing has allowed the Ministry to acquire cutting edge therapeutics for conditions like Hepatitis C and HIV for less than $150, fundamentally altering patient outcomes and scaling up treatment speed,” he said.
Minister Anthony expressed his profound gratitude to the workshop organisers, international facilitators, and regional delegates for convening in Guyana to drive the quality improvement agenda forward. He urged all participants to internalise the strategies discussed and translate them into immediate, measurable changes within their respective healthcare systems.
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