A FOUR-MEMBER health team from Georgetown last weekend returned to the Region 7 villages that were recently affected by malaria and the team’s capacity is to be strengthened this week in order to maintain adequate surveillance.

In January and February this year the villages of Kamarang, Waramadong, Jawalla, Imbaimadai, Isseneru and Kato, among some other villages of Region 7, were affected by a malaria outbreak.
When the Regional Health Officer (RHO) who is stationed at Bartica contacted the Ministry of Health, an emergency response team was dispatched to the areas, with particular focus on the Waramadong School and Dormitory.
The head mistress there had communicated to the RHO that there was a suspected outbreak of malaria at the school and an emergency team from the Ministry of Health was dispatched to the affected area and other nearby villages.
At the school which has over 900 children enrolled, the emergency team found just 13 of them with malaria and they were given medical attention.
These students who hail from four surrounding Amerindian villages had returned to school from the Christmas holidays and most likely had been infected in their respective home communities, so in fact there was no outbreak of malaria at their school dormitory.
The emergency teams that were dispatched to these affected areas executed microscopy investigations and mass screening, and then treated those who were ill with malaria and distributed health literacy material. The team also conducted training in the safe and effective use of spray cans with insecticide.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health, along with other stakeholders, praised the Guyana Defence Force for their timely assistance in transporting the medical emergency team to the various villages during the malaria outbreak.