THE Ministry of Health has spent in excess of $101M to procure thousands of insecticide impregnated nets in an effort to further enhance its continuous fight against malaria.

Health Minister Dr. Bheri Ramsaran yesterday presented treated nets to some of the ministry’s partners, including Public Works Minister, Robeson Benn who was given a small number of the nets for his immediate staff who work in malaria prone areas.
In addition, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) received 15,000 nets, the Guyana Forestry Commission received 5,000, while the Forest Products Association of Guyana received 2,000 and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) received 5,000.
According to the minster, these are not the simple bed nets that are commonly used in homes along the coast, but rather they are made of a special material and then impregnated with a special insecticide which does not harm human beings but is capable of destroying the mosquitoes which help to spread malaria or other such diseases like dengue.
The organisations which benefitted from the distribution signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Health which specified the arrangements for distribution of the nets “in a particular fashion among their constituents.” They were also presented with symbolic certificates to represent their ongoing relationship with the ministry.
“We’re sharing nets ourselves as a ministry, we have Global Fund that is assisting us also, and other ministries and organisations. So if we did not do this in a planned fashion, we might very well end up with nets being distributed in areas that already benefitted from distribution from another source. We are also having them sign a distributor’s agreement so they know what is going on,” he explained.
The minister related that yesterday’s activity was the third such undertaking of the ministry within the past week. Nets were previously given to the Regional Health Officer in Region 7 (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) and the Regional Executive Officer in Region 8 (Potaro/Siparuni) who were tasked with the responsibility to further distribute them.
Dr. Ramsaran further disclosed that each net costs approximately US $50 to purchase, store and distribute. He emphasised that the technology has improved and they can now even withstand rudimentary washing and are viable for a minimum of five years.
Moreover, he said that what the GGDMA received  might be termed a “promotional or initial introductory donation”, since they have recently had at a meeting convened by Natural Resources Minister, Robert Persaud, and they will be undertaking to purchase for their members and associates large quantities of the nets.
He added that the Health Ministry will act as their technical advisor on such matters as which nets to procure.
Meanwhile, the minister mentioned that in the struggle against malaria, the distribution of the treated nets is only one initiative being undertaken by the ministry. He said they will also be distributing educational material in an effort to sensitise people to how to protect themselves.
In addition he has recently challenged the private sector to partner with the ministry to provide training for workers.
“The Government of Guyana has very robust training programmes, including programmes that train our workers to fight malaria; in other words, to go wherever miners are, wherever loggers are, and to find malaria cases and treat them. But this is an expensive venture, so we’ve thrown out to the GDMA and others the possibility of them sponsoring students in our programmes…” he said.
Dr. Ramsaran further pointed out that the ministry is establishing a malaria committee of which the agreements on distribution of nets are the embryonic stage. They are also setting up malaria committees in hinterland communities, though he noted that some already exist but are limited.
School health clubs in malaria prone areas are also to be launched, and that the malaria committee headed by a Dr. Rahaman would be holding, in the near future, a malaria conference.
“…malaria is still a public health threat in Guyana. I’m not saying that we don’t have malaria under control; I’m saying that as a health practitioner and as a public health practitioner, that it is still a public health threat,” he explained.