The Government of Guyana and USAID are continuing their efforts to step up the fight against malaria in Guyana.
Malaria is a mosquito borne disease that is found in several areas across Guyana, especially in the interior mining communities.
Over the past few years, there has been a resuscitation of efforts to eliminate the disease.
This morning, a workshop focusing on insights on malaria opened here in Georgetown with Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings, saying that Guyana is one of eighteen countries in the Americas, which have committed to eliminating malaria by developing sustainable robust policies and strategies.
She said those policies and strategies are tailored to the needs of the country as well as the communities that are most affected.
“It is important to note or to acknowledge that even though a significant component of the resources needed to drive the elimination efforts, comes from the Government of Guyana, this vision of a country free of malaria would not be possible without the strong support of key partners such USAID, the Global Fund, PAHO/WHO among others”, Dr. Cummings said.
She announced that the National Malaria Programme in the Ministry of Public Health is currently implementing interventions that target the delivery of services at the community level.
As part of that programme, the Ministry has been building the capacity of miners and loggers to test and treat themselves for malaria in the mining communities.
US Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway, told the workshop that the US Government has been helping countries like Guyana adapt malaria prevention programmes and initiatives. He said the US government will continue to focus on key needs to assist in the fight against malaria.
The workshop is examining and studying the results of a research on malaria in Guyana that was done by the Ministry of Public Health and the USAID Breakthrough Action project.
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