GOVERNMENT is maintaining that its response to the Zika virus will be consistent with regional and international standards and is condemning those who choose to spread fear within the Guyanese population. Minister of Natural Resources and government spokesperson, Raphael Trotman told a post-cabinet media briefing yesterday that there is a multi-sectoral approach to addressing the virus in Guyana, given the fact that there is only one confirmed case so far.
He was at the time responding to reports that former Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy had contacted a media house in Guyana, offering advice on how the government should tackle the virus.
In this regard, Minister Trotman suggested that Dr. Ramsammy make contact with the current Public Health Minister with a view of cooperating.
“So this fear mongering that former Ministers want to create, we condemn it and if the former Minister is responsible, as he is pretending to be, let him make an appointment to see the current Minister so they could collaborate and deal with this problem instead of calling up the press and as I said spreading fear,” Trotman told reporters.

MULTI-SECTORAL APPROACH
The Guyana government has launched a multi-sectoral approach to minimize the chances of the mosquito-borne Zika virus from spreading to Guyana. Though not deadly, scientists say the virus has caused pregnant mothers to deliver babies with small or under-developed brains.
An aggressive public education programme has begun to inform the general public of the initiatives that have been launched and to advise Guyanese of their responsibility to manage their environment to protect themselves from mosquito bites.
Up to the first week of February, the Public Health Ministry had treated one single case of the Zika virus. This patient’s medical samples had been sent earlier for testing to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).
The positive report returned early in January and all parties sprang into action. The Public Health Ministry stepped up its collaboration with the Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) and an aggressive country-wide public education and prevention campaign commenced.