Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Oct 01, 2017 News
By Feona Morrison
With Guyana looking to achieve total elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis by 2020, Minister
within the Ministry of Public Health, Karen Cummings, declared the Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign—aimed at eliminating the disease and Intestinal Worms, opened yesterday at Square of the Revolution.
This was done by her drinking and chewing two tablets,y Diethylcarbamazine Citrate (DEC) and Albendazole (ALB) which must be taken once every year for five consecutive years for them to be effective in the fight against the disease commonly known as Filaria.
Others at the event were Minster of Education, Nicolette Henry; Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud; Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Guyana Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow; Head of the Vector Control Service Unit (VCSU), Dr. Horace Cox; and Head of the Neglected Infectious Diseases (VCSU), Dr. Fabu Moses.
They, too, joined in the drinking and chewing the tablets.
In Guyana Filaria is commonly known as ‘Big Foot’ or ‘Elephantiasis’, and can affect both men and women. When a male is infected in his genital area it is called Hydrocele or ‘goady’.
Everyone is at risk of Filaria which is a parasitic disease caused by the Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi and Brugia timori nematode worms transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Aedes, Culex, Anopheles and Mansonia mosquitoes.
While infected persons do not usually feel symptoms for many years before signs appear, some chronic signs of Filaria are Lymphoedema—pain and swelling of the breasts, arms, legs and scrotum and Elephantiasis—thickened skin due to excessive swelling.
Filaria can be threatened through management of Lymphoedema, to prevent worsening conditions and treatment to destroy the remaining parasites.
Dr. Cummings emphasized that the eradication of Filaria is of paramount priority to the ministry.
She said that the Ministry of Public Health will continue to engage in sensitization and awareness initiatives in its fight against the disease to have it eliminated by 2020.
Reflecting on the launch of the MDA programme in 2003, Dr. Cumming said that many Guyanese have benefited in a number of ways resulting in a significant reduction of new cases of Lymphatic Filariasis.
“Though there have been some peripheral challenges in the initial rollout of the MDA programme in Guyana, I’m very pleased that this programme has prevailed.
“The staff involved in the conduct of this programme must be commended for being committed to established goals and objectives.”
She said, “(Yesterday’s launch) aims at promoting the available medical solutions to combat Lymphatic Filariasis. Unfortunately, Lymphatic Filariasis is the leading cause of permanent and long term disability worldwide among both men and women.
“People with this disease can suffer pain, disfigurement and sexual disability.”
Dr. Cummings said that people living with this disease may never marry and are likely to be rejected by their spouses and family. She added that persons suffering with this disease are unable to work due to their disability.
“This disease has a negative impact on affected persons and hurts their family and community.
“Therefore, it is very important that shared interventions such has help, education, community based action, distribution of long lasting insecticidal bed nets and Mass Drug Administration form part of the affirmative action to be taken.”
According to Dr. Cummings, to ensure full geographic coverage of morbidity management and disability prevention services, programme management must first understand the number and geographic distribution of patients.
“With this knowledge, she said, programme managers can ensure that facilities are providing services in all areas where there are known patients and to work to ensure that the quality of those services are maintained at an optimal level.
The Health Minster continued, “The elimination of Filariasis will be a major achievement for every household, every community, every region and the country as a whole.”
However, Dr. William Adu-Krow believes that if everything is done right, Guyana can achieve elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis by 2027.
He said that the MDA programme will reduce the density of parasites circulating in the blood of infected persons and the prevalence of the infection within communities to such low levels that transmission cannot be sustained and new infections eventually cease.
Minster Henry expressed her willingness to work with the Ministry of Public Health to combat Filaria. She disclosed that almost every child in some areas constantly record an absence day from school as a result of worm infestation.
“One of the contributing factors to absenteeism in schools is worm infestation. Data shows that worms affect approximately 90 percent of the population in Guyana with children being…affected by intestinal worms and in even in some areas, Filaria worms,” the Minister added.
Minster Henry explained that these worms compete with the child’s body for nutrition making the child weak, tired and unable to concentrate “during a regular seven-hour day of school.”
According to the Education Minister, children are exposed to these worms due to activities they engage in and it is of great importance that they practice proper sanitation.
“Children tend to play barefooted or not wash their hands before they eat—they are definitely at a higher risk for worm infestation… Worms live in their joints and can penetrate their feet and contaminate their foods.”
“Children playing or studying during late hours particularly in the evening are at risk of being bitten by the mosquito that carries the worm. And that puts them at risk of developing Filaria later in life.”
She stressed the importance of preventative measure being in place at schools to safeguard children since they spend most of their times in the classroom.
Minister Henry revealed that the schools’ Deworming programme will commence this month with DEC and Albendazole pills being distributed to all schools in Regions Three, Four, Five and Ten.
She said that a brochure detailing important information about Filaria with a dissent form will be given to parents and guardians.
However, parents who do not want their child/children to receive the pills that will be given out by trained health care professionals, are being asked to fill and return the form to the class teacher so that their children can be excluded from the campaign.
In giving an overview of the MDA programme, Dr. Moses said that the Ministry of Public Health as long been engaged in the fight against Lymphatic Filariasis. However, it has been noted that very few people appreciate the economic and social burden that is caused by the chronic signs of the infection.
“It is accompanied by social stigma and economic hardship.”
She said that in Guyana there is still a 90 per cent risk of infection and that there are 15 new cases at the clinic and two return cases.
According to the doctor, this brings the total patient administration to under 200 patients.
Based on a review meeting held last year, Dr. Moses said that it was made clear that children need to be targeted. “We need to ensure a bright future for our children but it also brought to light that we need to ensure that everyone in Guyana has access to the pills.”
Dr. Persaud happily announced that the number of persons being infected with Filaria has significantly decreased over the years.
“From more than 150 patients that we were seeing in the mid-2000s, now they are only about fifteen patients who have to be actively managed at the clinic. Last year there were only 82 surgeries for Hydrocele as compared to 447 in 2005.”
Please share this to every Guyanese including your house cats.
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