Fight against malaria, NCDs a priority in 2013

Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran

This year has seen a reduction in the number of persons diagnosed with malaria in Guyana, as compared to 2011. However, the disease remains a public health threat and could become more challenging in 2013. This was highlighted by Global Fund for Malaria Director Indal Rambajan, during a press conference at the Health Ministry’s boardroom on Monday.
As such, the fight against the scourge as well as non-communicable diseases is a priority of the Health Ministry’s 2013 strategic plan.
The ministry is collaborating with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the United States Agency for International Development to address the disease in malaria-prone areas. These include Regions One, Seven, Eight, Nine and parts of Two and 10.
Rambajan noted that the hinterland and mining areas are those most likely to be plagued by malaria. The number of persons in the mining sector has increased from about 15,000 in 2005 to some 130,000 at present. “The males have always been dominant, but we have never had so much of females infected right now and this is because of the mining and people going into the interior,” he noted. The 15-49 age group and those aged 50 and above are most affected.
Vector Control Services chief inspector Karanchand Krishnalall said the disease will remain a significant public health threat in Guyana in 2013. “To date we’ve had mobile teams to go into the riverine areas to carry out malaria activities. What we do, though, is we mass smear the people in those regions. We diagnose and we treat the people there; we carry out nets and distribute them in all these areas,” he said.
The Health Ministry in collaboration with its partners and national stakeholders said it will upgrade and expand its malaria prevention and control activities and interventions. Among these are distributions of mosquito nets, which are impregnated with insecticide to be effective.
Other preventative measures include mass blood and fever surveys, extension of awareness programmes to poor and vulnerable groups as well as engaging new national partners. The team is also looking to cure confirmed malaria cases based on Guyana’s standard national anti-malaria treatment guidelines adapted from the World Health Organisation.

Ousting non-communicable diseases
The establishment of a National Commission on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) is also a main focus of the ministry in 2013. It forms part of the ministry’s strategy dubbed “Health Vision 20/20”, which is aimed at ensuring health services reach citizens across the country.
According to Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran, medical evacuation is also a critical component. However, he stressed that outreaches do not replace regular services.
He said one way in which the ministry hopes to tackle non-communicable diseases is by extending the opening hours of health centres in various regions of Guyana.