120 volunteers being trained in Zika prevention and control measures

BY Delicia Fletcher

The local fight against the spread of the Zika Virus is being further strengthened even as the Vector Control Unit of the Ministry of Public Health undertakes to train 120 new volunteers from across the country in control and preventative measures.

These volunteers were drawn mainly come from the Civil Defence Commission.

Chief Inspector at the Unit, David Williams, in an exclusive interview told the News Room, that the three- day exercise would first be rolled out in administrative Region four starting today (April 4) and would then be extended to other regions.

Williams also noted that the training would first expose volunteers to both practical and theoretical apsects of the Ministry’s strategy for Zika control and prevention.

This, he says involves fogging, larvicide use and residential spraying. There is also another component that involves the Ministry’s I-C-E plan or Information, Communication and Education plan that works to bring awareness the vector and the diseases it spreads.

There are at present six lab confirmed cases of the virus locally and Acting Coordinator of the Vector Control Unit, Dr. Horace Cox says it is with this in mind that has led to team to give added focus to East Bank of Demerara corridor.

However, he notes that this in no way takes away from the larger programme.

Dr. Cox was also questioned on the mode of transmission for the six confirmed cases as there has been the evidence though limited accepted by the PAHO/WHO that the virus has been sexually transmitted and could further be spread from pregnant mother to fetus.

However, he concludes that in Guyana the main mode of transmission continues to be by vector based on their investigations.