International universities to study malaria transmission in Guyana

− studies to begin in 2021

The United Kingdom’s University of Oxford and the University of Hartford in Connecticut, United States, are to begin studies on malaria transmission in Guyana early next year with the aim being to reduce the spread of the disease locally.

Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony made the disclosure during DPI’s ‘The Progress Report programme earlier this week.

“We have some partners that we’ve been working with from the University of Hartford to conduct some special studies looking at malaria transmission, the dynamics of this disease and so forth. By learning more about transmission patterns in Guyana we will be able to be more effective at how we can try to reduce malaria in Guyana.”

The other partner Government will be working with is the University of Oxford.

“We are also going to be starting with another partner, the University of Oxford some other techniques that we want to use in the Rupununi, as it relates to malaria elimination, so right now we are in discussion with those partners on that new technique that we want to use there.”

Minister Anthony said with new knowledge about the disease, new technology for detection and treatment and easier access for malaria patients, there should be a vast reduction in cases in the country. He also highlighted the use of preventative medicine before going into malaria-prevalent regions.

 “One way that we can effectively prevent Malaria is if we are going into an endemic area of malaria, that you can use prophylaxis, a lot of people don’t, but these prophylaxes are available to people, and so in that way if you drink those tablets before, when you get in, even if you get the mosquito bites you would not get malaria.”

Prophylaxis is considered on a case-by-case basis with specific criteria to be met, more particularly in foreigners or persons at higher infection risk. The Ministry also recommends using Insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), which kill mosquitoes upon contact. The Ministry has acquired some 100,000 of the nets and has begun distributing them in those high-risk communities.