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– As elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis is pursued“Guyana stands ready to play a leading role…I believe there is nothing to stop us in the Americas from being the first of the Regions that can stand up and claim that we have eliminated the neglected diseases.”This bold statement was passionately vocalised by Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy,Boston Red Sox Wade Boggs Jersey, even as he presented opening remarks at the 10th Regional Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination Programme Managers’ Meeting yesterday at the Princess Hotel, East Bank Demerara.The forum which saw the attendance of representatives from Haiti, Suriname,Los Angeles Dodgers Carl Crawford Jersey, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago and Brazil will continue to today and serve as a prelude to the 9th Regional Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination Programme Review Group.According to the Minister,St. Louis Cardinals Stan Musial Jersey, Guyana has made tremendous efforts to eliminate the parasitic disease but noted that “we still have work to do but we are already on that path…There are others such as Suriname and Trinidad in this Region that are close to elimination.  Brazil, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic have all made progress…”Eliminating neglected diseases such as Lymphatic Filariasis which is commonly referred to as filaria, is an ambition that is not beyond the Region of the Americas and therefore is one that should be embraced, Minister Ramsammy asserted.The World Health Organisation (WHO) had some years ago predicted that the parasitic disease could be eliminated by 2020, a goal the Minister is convinced could be achieved much earlier.  “Let us lead with the 2020 vision and that 2020 vision is not only the elimination of the neglected diseases…but that we in the Americas will sit as the first Region to have done so…it is entirely possible, it is entirely feasible.”He noted, though, that while many countries are already on the road to elimination there are some one billion people that still suffer from neglected diseases and are further pushed into a state of poverty as a result. He noted that while progress is made in countries the neglect of some diseases continue to surface.According to the Minister, while those in research have ignored neglected diseases, the media on the other hand has continued to raise awareness.  He noted that research and the availability of products are very important towards the efforts of elimination.In highlighting the importance of investment in research, the Minister noted that in 2008 a total of US$3.2B was invested globally in research in terms of neglected diseases.  This funding, he said, was intended for all neglected diseases but noted that the bulk was directed to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Tuberculosis (TB) and some to malaria.However, the classical neglected diseases, the likes of filariasis remained neglected. “We all need to be careful…because I noticed the media reports on the happy news of increased investment in the area of neglected diseases but the truth is,Boston Red Sox Christian Vazquez Jersey, that it is not for the 13 or 15 neglected diseases …but few of the very popular ones like HIV…so yes we are happy that there is increased investment…”Even with increased investment, the Minister noted that the finances do not target many public health scourges that are affecting the truly disadvantaged people of the world. Accordingly, he noted that efforts must be made to focus on those that are currently at a disadvantage.According to Minister Ramsammy, the meeting is being viewed as very important for both the Regions of the Americas and Guyana for a number of important reasons. Principal among the importance of the meeting is the fact that as a Region “we will be able to assess the level of elimination of this preventable infection and identify gaps, challenges and solutions necessary to achieve the Global Goal of Elimination.”At present, he said, that there are only four countries with active transmission of W. bancrofti, the parasite that is spread by the common culex mosquito that causes Filariasis. He pointed out though that even in the endemic countries through support from the PAHO/WHO, the United States Centres for Disease Control, several regional and local universities and other institutions,Los Angeles Dodgers Justin Turner Jersey, private drug manufactures and other donors,Cleveland Indians Manny Ramirez Jersey, the ministries of health and the local health authorities have been able to reduce the prevalence markedly in Brazil, the Dominican Republic and to some extent in Guyana and Haiti.In Brazil for example,St. Louis Cardinals Matt Carpenter Jersey, only a few small foci of transmission still exist in one Amazon state while the Dominican Republic has been able to push back the disease transmission to just a few providences close to the Haitian borders, Minister Ramsammy revealed.Moreover, Guyana through the novel DEC-salt fortification was able to reduce national prevalence from a record high of almost 10 percent of the population to about four percent.“For Guyana, this meeting will mark 10 years since the programme to eliminate filariasis was formally established, and since then we have launched the DEC-fortified salt initiative which ran from 2003 to 2007, and the CARE programmes both of which have contributed to reduction in transmission and suffering from this diseases,” Minister Ramsammy disclosed.In 2008, Guyana commenced the phase II programme which is now based on door to door delivery of DEC and Albendazole to all at-risk populations in the affected areas, Minister Ramsammy added. Since then, three rounds of DEC/ALB mass drug distribution was completed in Region Five, and one each in Region Six and Two.Last year, through the Georgetown Sanitation Improvement Programme,Baltimore Orioles Frank Robinson Jersey, the Ministry of Health obtained funding for a five year Mass Drug Administration (MDA) programme in Region Four,Los Angeles Dodgers Joc Pederson Jersey, the most highly affected region of the country.Government, according to Minister Ramsammy, has since committed to the continued provision of support for the few other regions still noted with transmission.Yesterday’s meeting also saw remarks being presented by PAHO/WHO Communicable Diseases Coordinator, Dr Nicolas Ceron and Coordinator of the WHO Global Programme for Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination, Dr Kazuyo Ichimori, both of whom emphasized the importance of elimination and the efforts that have been directed towards this achievement.The discussions are slated to culminate tomorrow with the ninth Regional Programme Review Group meeting for the Americas.