PAHO has donated US$8,000 to the Ministry of Agriculture/Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) along with four global positioning systems to boost its capacity to keep Guyana free of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).
Dr Leslie Ramsammy, Minister of Agriculture who received the assistance from PAHO/WHO Representative Dr Beverley Barnett, said, “Achievement is one thing, but we must protect what we achieve”. This collaboration with the PAHO and GLDA is an effort to protect that tremendous achievement of being Foot and Mouth free, a release from the Ministry of Agriculture said.
A National Disease Outbreak Disaster Simulation Exercise was recently carried out in Region 9 and was very successful. The Ministry of Agriculture engaged the Brazilian counterparts as well as PAHO which helped finance the exercise. The overall cost was US$13,000.
Ramsammy reiterated, “We are grateful for the continued support from PAHO to protect our status of Foot and Mouth Disease free.” He said he welcomed continued collaboration and participation in similar exercises. He also pointed out that it will take laboratory technology as well as education of our technical officers and the masses to keep Guyana free from FMD, the release stated.
