Brazil, PAHO/WHO recommits to supporting Guyana’s Public Health Sector

GEORGETOWN, MOPH – With just a phone call Guyana’s public system can benefit from significant Brazilian assistance its Ambassador here Mr. Lineu Pupo de Paula announced Tuesday.

“Just call me,” de Paula told Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence during a courtesy call and handing-over ceremony at her Brickdam, Georgetown office.

The Brazilian envoy said his country, most famous for football, is also committed to helping Guyana in its fight against Yellow Fever (YF) by donating vaccine.

Minister Lawrence has accepted Brazil’s gesture to help meet the medical demands of the multi-cultural, English-speaking country.

The Brazilian Ambassador Tuesday donated drugs to help counteract leishmaniasis, a parasitic diseases found in tropical and sub-tropical countries and southern Europe.

Leishmaniasis is spread by the bite of infected sand flies resulting in skin sores or affects a victim’s spleen, liver or bone marrow. Some people with the disease show no symptoms while others develop skin sores which start out as bumps or lumps and end up as ulcers which may be covered by scab or crust. The sores may also be painless or painful.

The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on its website explained that victims can also experience “fever, weight loss, enlargement (swelling) of the spleen and liver, and abnormal blood tests.”

Said the CDC: “People may have low blood counts, including a low red blood cell count (anemia), a low white blood cell count (leukopenia), and a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia).”

“Leishmaniasis is found in parts of more than 90 countries around the world,” the CDC said.

Meanwhile, PAHO/WHO officials Tuesday also announced support for several sub-sectors of the Guyana’s Public Health system according to a message relayed from Dr Carissa Etienne, PAHO Director, who visited Guyana earlier this year.

“We have instructions to help you,” said Mr. Marcos Espinal, Director, Department of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis and Mr. Marcelo D’Agostino, Senior Advisor, Knowledge Management Health Information and Analysis Unit who also paid a courtesy call to Lawrence Tuesday.

Espinal and D’Agostino in the presence of PAHO/WHO Representative here, Dr. William Adu-Krow, said Guyana can expect technical and other support for its communicable diseases and vector control programmes; backing for its neglected diseases efforts and firm backing for its Health Information Systems.