$9.6M pick-up handed over to Region Eight to aid fight against malaria

The government has boosted mobility in the fight against malaria with the provision of a pick-up truck to Region Eight valued at $9.6 million.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony on Tuesday handed over the keys to a brand new 4×4 Toyota Land Cruiser pick-up to Region Eight’s Vector Control Supervisor, Natalie Griffith in the ministry’s compound on Brickdam, Georgetown.

The health minister, in brief remarks noted that the close partnership with the Global Fund is a necessary resource in the fight against Malaria.

“Over the last couple of years, we have been working very closely with Global Fund to get the necessary resources to help with our Malaria programme. This is just one example where we were able, through the Global Fund to acquire this vehicle and we will be sending this vehicle to Region Eight”, he stated.

Meanwhile, Griffith expressed her gratitude on behalf of the region.

She said it will assist greatly in traversing the challenging terrain.

The health ministry’s Head of Vector Control (Malaria), Dr Reza Niles-Robin shared with the Department of Public Information (DPI) that the acquisition will enable personnel to finally reach residents in a region that has the second-highest number of malaria cases.

“We are grateful to the Global Fund along with the Ministry of Health for this vehicle because the terrain is a bit difficult and mobility is very important to us. The region accounts for the second highest number of cases of Malaria that we have, and we are glad that [with the vehicle] the programme will finally be able to reach these hard-to-reach areas, where we might or may not have some cases, but at least we want them to have access,” she said.

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, (or simply the Global Fund) is an international financing and partnership organisation that aims to “attract, leverage and invest additional resources to end the epidemics of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria to support attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations”.

Guyana through the Global Fund was also able to access insecticide-impregnated bed nets.

In 2021, the Government was able to donate over 57,000 bed nets to different communities across the country and is continuing to do so, especially in mining communities.

Present at the event was the coordinator of Health in the Hinterlands, Michael Gouveia and other personnel from the ministry’s vector control programme.