| Despite fervent strides over the years, malaria today still remains a public health threat across Latin America and even more so in Africa. However, Guyana has been able to sustain its efforts to continually reduce the scourge of the vector control disease.Minister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran, announced that Guyana has cause to compliment its vector control workers at various levels for their contribution and dedication to the malaria fight. His disclosure was forthcoming Wednesday evening when he addressed the gathering at a simple ceremony at the Regency Suites/Hotel, Hadfield Street, Georgetown. An exhibition at the same venue also served to showcase the work being done by malaria workers to combatMinister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran (centre) and Senior Malaria officials view an image depicting a vector control worker in fogging mode.malaria.In fact, Wednesday’s event was intended to celebrate the work of the Health Ministry’s Vector Control Services which served to reflect on the progress of the local malaria fight and highlight plans for the way forward.The celebration represented Guyana’s observance of Malaria Day of the Americas under the theme “Invest in the future, defeat malaria.” Guyana has been observing National Malaria Day on November 6, since 2003, to coincide with the day Charles Louis Alphonso Laveran, a French surgeon,Nike Shox Gravity, was able to determine that the cause of malaria was a protozoan organism. On that day, he observed the parasites in a blood smear taken from a patient who had just died from malaria.According to the Minister, “the Ministry on this occasion (Malaria Day)…recognises the contribution and importance of every single foot-soldier, not only the Director, but those on the ground with the porkknockers, the pregnant Amerindian women who might also have malaria,Cheap Jerseys USA, the vendors in the hinterland and even in the camp followers.”Minister Ramsaran,Cheap Jerseys 2018, who was tasked with delivering the feature address, emphasised that “vector control officers of various ranks are heroes. We want to hold you up as good role models; people to follow…we want to bring your dedication to the attention of the young people.”In fact it is the hope of the Minister that young people would be intrigued enough by the work of the vector control workers to embrace a similar path.“We want them to look up to you and probably join the training programmes of the Ministry of Health,” said Minister Ramsaran, who also sought to extend the one-day celebration to a week-long affair.Speaking with pride about the local malaria strides, Director of Vector Control Services, Dr Reyaud Rahman, disclosed that although confronted with many tribulations, there is no relenting in the battle against malaria.He informed that Vector Control Services has been embracing a number of strategic collaborations such as with the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission,Cheap NFL Jerseys, the Guyana Forestry Commission, the Forest Products Association and the Women Miners Association.Microscopist Supatra Abraham displays a long lasting impregnated mosquito net.This strategic move, he said, is geared at “getting a bigger push…and basically what we have done is to ask them to actually give (out) bed nets…it is not that we can’t do it, but we have brought them on board to get them to help us distribute bed nets.”According to Rahman, although Vector Control Services has a huge reach,Jerseys Wholesale, keen efforts are being made to expand.For this year alone, Vector Control Services has been able to distribute several thousand long-lasting impregnated mosquito nets to safeguard those at risk, particularly in mining communities, from malaria. And according to Dr Rahman, these bed nets are procured at a great cost to the Ministry of Health, but are seen as a small price to pay in order to sustain the fight against the vector-borne disease.Wednesday’s celebration was also graced with the presence of other instrumental officials, including the Pan American Health Organisation’s Senior Advisor on Sustainable Development and Environmental Health,China Jerseys, Adrianus Vlugman. He not only congratulated the malaria workers, but also commended their energetic approach and continued commitment to the fight against the disease.“We are all agents of change, because we want to change Guyana by removing and eliminating malaria,” Vlugman said. |
