MoPH receives maternal and child health equipment
-US-Guyana health partnership achieved many successes
DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, February 19, 2020
The Ministry of Public Health has received equipment and material from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to boost the work of its Maternal and Child Health Department.
Wednesday’s donation included 1,000 Zika pregnancy wheels, 82 infant scales, 250 head circumference tapes, and 76 portable infant scales.
In March 2018, the US government began working with the Maternal and Child Survival Programme, in close partnership with the health ministry to improve the clinical capacity and care for newborns and toddlers.
Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy, Mark Cullinane commented on the importance of the partnership.
“The handover of these items today is a manifestation of the important health partnership between our two governments that support clinical and non-clinical Zika services benefiting infants, children, and families throughout Guyana,” he stated.
Cullinane added that Guyana had also seen successes such as the improved capability of 104 health workers to treat children with Zika and the provision of psychosocial support to mothers and families affected by the virus.
The Expanded Programme of Immunisation was also reviewed on Wednesday.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Shamdeo Persaud explained that the Regional Health Officers, supervisors for various health centres, and the coordinators of the Maternal and Child Health and the Immunisation programmes would meet on Wednesday and Thursday.
“They will be looking at statistics for 2019, examining some of the challenges and chartering our course for 2020,’ Dr. Persaud said. “We are scheduled for a major evaluation of our vaccine system by WHO. At the last review, we came third globally and we are looking to improve on that.”
The US government’s support for Guyana’s health system spans HIV/AIDS, malaria, dengue, and supply chain management and health system strengthening.