Voucher initiative boosts battle against chronic diseases – Min Anthony
Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony on Wednesday said the data generated from the government’s voucher-based healthcare programme over the past two years has provided valuable insight into the health status of the population.
The government launched the Universal Healthcare Voucher initiative, an Eye Testing and Spectacles Programme, last year to support Guyanese in need of specific tests and procedures.
“These vouchers are not just about testing; the data we get from them is extremely important. It allows us to understand what is happening in our population, identify diseases early, and bring people into care before their condition progresses,” Minister Anthony stated.
He was speaking at a ceremony to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with stakeholders at Herdmanston Lodge in Georgetown to advance the health drive this year.
Through the programme, more than 91,000 adults accessed laboratory testing, with findings revealing a significant number of persons living with undiagnosed conditions, including diabetes and elevated cholesterol levels.
Among those tested, over 37,000 persons completed HbA1c testing, with approximately 8,440 results showing dangerously high levels, indicating either poorly managed or previously undiagnosed diabetes.
The data also highlighted widespread cases of lipid abnormalities, including high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, placing many individuals at increased risk for cardiovascular diseases.
Minister Anthony noted that the availability of this data allows the ministry to identify trends, stratify results by region and demographics, and intervene earlier by bringing patients into care before conditions worsen.
Additionally, the programme has supported earlier detection of prostate cancer among men through prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, enabling timely diagnosis and follow-up care.
The minister emphasised that the initiative goes beyond providing tests, noting that the collection and analysis of data is essential to improving national health outcomes and shaping targeted interventions.