–aims to support early detection, intervention of health conditions – President Ali says

TO provide both early detection and intervention of health conditions among school-aged children, the Guyana Government has commenced a baseline health study, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has said.

During a recent community outreach in Region One (Barima-Waini), the Guyanese Head of State explained that the initiative will see officials being able to establish data, and maintain health statistics.

“We are now doing a baseline study for all our children to be screened, so that from an early age, we will have data; we will have health statistics, and if they need any early interventions, the government will support that intervention to ensure that we have healthy population ahead of us.”

“These are the things that matter. And these are not just things that we are doing on the coast, these are things that we are doing in every single community,” the President added.

In March, this newspaper had reported the health ministry’s plans to screen 87,000 school-aged children by the end of this year.

Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony had disclosed that the Comprehensive Child and Young Health Programme (CYHP), has seen over 11,000 nursery school children being evaluated for various medical issues in 2023.

In the most recent screening cycle, it was discovered that several children needed treatment for skin rashes. Many of them received oral examinations, hearing aids, and spectacles.

According to the Health Minister, the Comprehensive Child and Young Health Programme works well with other ministry initiatives that aim to combat Guyana’s high rate of chronic non-communicable diseases, the number one cause of death and disability in the world.

Only recently it was reported that Guyana has seen a significant reduction in child and maternal mortalities.
President Ali had made that disclosure on the eve of Guyana’s 58th Independence Anniversary two Saturdays ago, while addressing a mammoth gathering at the Mackenzie Stadium in Linden, Region 10.

With the aim of improving the population’s life expectancy rate, investments are being made to modernise the healthcare system, advance public health education and collaborate with partners to develop a healthcare system that is second to none.

“The investment we are making has also seen a reduction in child mortality. Child mortality is now 13 per every 1,000 births, when as compared to 19 in 2019.”

He added: “This is testimony; this is qualitative analysis and qualitative examples of how the policies and expenditure of the government are working to make the lives of Guyanese better.”

The Head of State further revealed that maternal mortality is at the lowest it has ever been in the history of the country.

“It is now 96 per 10,000 deliveries. [That is] 96 per 10,000 compared to 170 per 10,000 in 2017,” Dr Ali said.

The government is placing specific emphasis on further decreasing those numbers and improving the level of care with the construction of the Guyana Paediatric and Maternal Hospital, at Ogle, East Coast Demerara.

In 2021, it was reported that the government was examining a maternal and children’s hospital that would offer specialised care to Guyanese. Construction of that facility is currently underway.