The Ministry of Health said yesterday that according to reports from Cuba where there is an outbreak of cholera, Guyanese students are at minimal risk of contracting the infectious disease while in that country.
And the ministry said in a press release that it is monitoring the cholera outbreak situation where 56 cases have been confirmed in Cuba.
Meanwhile, Cuban health authorities have implemented an active management and prevention plan for cholera, the release stated.
On Wednesday, Cuba reported that from last Tuesday a total of 85 confirmed cholera cases, including three deaths, have been recorded in the Granma province. Measures for prevention and control continue to be implemented and the investigation is ongoing.
The Ministry of Health here developed a plan to “Stop Cholera” in Guyana when the outbreak was detected in earthquake ravaged Haiti in mid-October 2010, and has since embarked on a number of measures within the health system.
The measures implemented included:
1. Strengthening port vigilance and border area surveillance for all inbound travelers
2. Upgrading the national syndromic surveillance system to enhance daily reports from sentinel sites around the capital and in strategic areas such as Region 1, Region 2, Region 6 and Region 9.
3. Commencing the development and implementation of a revised plan to manage diarrheal disease nationally, with emphasis on oral rehydration therapy and management of dehydration.
4. Enhancing the capacity of the national laboratory system to test for and confirm cholera from stool samples.
5. Stocking all the essential medicines and supplies needed to manage cholera at all health facilities.
6. Developing and implementing a plan along with several stakeholders (PAHO/WHO, UNICWF and GWI) to improve sanitation and hygiene nationwide.
7. Developing and implementing an awareness campaign to educate the public on the risk of diarrhoea, management of cases and control measures.
In the meantime, the Surveillance and Pandemic Committee of the ministry will continue to monitor the situation in the region and will provide regular feedback on the situation to the media, the release added.
