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CCNTV6
  • 4 months ago
A partnership is underway between Health and Local Government to tackle mosquito breeding sites and prevent the spread of dengue.
Transcript
00:002024 featured 2,000 confirmed cases and 19 tragic deaths of young persons from dengue.
00:07We had a case last year where a young 8-year-old girl from the southern region of Trinidad passed
00:15and she actually presented to a health center and was misdiagnosed.
00:19And when she presented later that week, she had dengue shock syndrome and she later passed
00:26and it was a very tragic case.
00:27As such, the health ministry is doing its part to detect and treat dengue.
00:32So we are looking to increase our capacity in terms of testing,
00:36be it with the test kits at the primary level, I mean at the health centers,
00:41and also at laboratory confirmation of dengue cases.
00:47So it's a lot of work we have to do in regards to public health education.
00:53Minister Bodo has indicated that he will reach out to schools
00:56and would be educating children.
00:59Thus far, 2025 does not seem to be following the same grim trajectory.
01:04So for July last year, at this time there were 658 confirmed cases.
01:10July of this year, we have 28 suspected cases, but no confirmed cases.
01:16So we seem to be in a good position.
01:18But prevention goes far beyond detection and Prime Minister Kamala Pissot-Bissasa is not willing to take any risks.
01:26She has mandated the ministries of health and local government to work collaboratively on eliminating mosquito breeding sites.
01:34The first meeting of stakeholders took place on Wednesday.
01:36Because the truth is that for more than 10 years, the insect vector division has not been allowed to function at their full capacity.
01:48It is no secret that the mismanagement has led to insect vector division's depleted capacity,
01:57where they have specialized positions such as entomologists and so on vacant for years.
02:03At the moment, Amin says there is not enough manpower to clear vacant lots.
02:08We will discuss increasing the manpower at the regional corporation,
02:14but also because the URP is now under the ministry of local government.
02:19We can source labor there.
02:21And I've already raised this to the program manager at URP
02:24for us to have specialized units dealing with vacant lots clearing
02:29under the directive of the regional corporation.
02:32The available equipment needs to be assessed,
02:35and Minister Means says international agencies will be looked at for funding to achieve these goals.
02:41There are vehicles responsible for spraying for insects
02:44that cannot pass the inspection at license office.
02:50And because of poor maintenance,
02:53and therefore that is an issue that we also have to treat with.
02:57We must partner with insect vector division because your data at the Ministry of Health must guide what we are doing.
03:07Your entomologists and data in terms of mosquito population must inform the areas that are sprayed first or most.
03:17You must approve the chemicals that we use at the regional corporations.
03:25You will partner with us in terms of inspecting our vehicles and equipment to ensure that they have the right calibration.
03:32Minister Amin says it is imperative to rebuild the capacity of the insect vector control division,
03:38which falls under the health ministry.
03:41But there is still required input from local government.
03:45It is my hope that while the regional corporations are going to be doing a lot of the spraying on this occasion,
03:53as time passes, the Ministry of Health's capacity to return insect vector control division
04:02to what it should be will be achieved
04:06so that the regional corporations could concentrate more on our core functions.
04:13Arvishi Tomori Rupnarein, TV6 News.
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