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“There is a genuine increase in dengue in Guyana. We should not put our heads in the sand…We in Guyana have to do something now,” said Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy yesterday, as he addressed a sub-regional workshop at the Ocean View International Hotel.The workshop, which comes as a collaborative effort between the local Health Ministry and the Pan American Health Organisation, is geared at promoting an integrated management strategy for dengue prevention and control in Guyana. The participants included various levels of health care providers.Minister Ramsammy observed yesterday that the increase in dengue is a common development across the region, even as he asserted that all countries have seen increases in dengue. He pointed out that it is true to say that from 2007 to date there has been an increase in the number of cases of dengue.“I believe when we recorded the numbers in 2007 the incidence rate for Guyana was 46 per 100,000. And the incidence rate at the end of 2010 was about 196 per 100,000 so there has been a rise.”  He noted though that while “not all of that rise can be accounted by the real increase in cases, I do believe that there has been an increase.”For this reason, he revealed that Guyana has improved its testing capacity, and therefore there are more confirmed cases today than in the past. He noted that it is likely that there were cases in the past that were never recorded.“I believe this steep rise is a combination of two things – genuine increase in numbers and also an increase in the capacity. We need to be aware of that, we need to acknowledge that.”According to the Minister, whatever strategy is derived must include building capacity for early diagnosis of dengue cases. He warned that the capacity cannot be one that is centralised but rather one that sees the Ministry of Health having the capacity to deal with cases countrywide.“It goes without saying that while every health worker is familiar with the vector-borne disease called dengue, not all of them are adept at diagnosis, not all of them are competent in even recognition, so that we have to ensure that our health care providers can screen competently so that people suspected of having dengue can be managed and a proper diagnosis be made.”In terms of the diagnosis, Minister Ramsammy, said that there is need to build capacity for testing in all 10 administrative regions. In addition, he noted that the clinical management of dengue must be a competency that resides across the board of health care providers. Accordingly, he pointed out that standard treatment guidelines should be developed and every health care provider should be trained in the use of such guidelines.Meanwhile, it is the view of the Minister that there can be absolutely no doubt that there is a link between global warming, climate change and the increase incidence of dengue.“It is real…And so while we are dealing with an old disease, one that is endemic in many countries and endemic for a long time, we are dealing with a genuine increasing incidence in virtually all of our countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.”“And indeed in places… in niches that have not experienced dengue in a more modern time, they are beginning to record cases of dengue. We see this even in the southern United States of America.”According to Minister Ramsammy, the vector is in fact widespread and the parasite reservoir is increasing. As a result, he asserted that countries such as Guyana must act now. Dengue is currently one of the most important vector-borne viral diseases affecting not only the Caribbean but worldwide, PAHO/WHO Representative (ag), Adrianus Vlugman, initimated yesterday.He revealed that there have been repeated epidemics in recent years both in South America and the Caribbean.  Vlugman disclosed that initially in the ‘60s there were successful eradication campaigns of dengue but that was not sustainable, thus in the ‘70s and ‘80s repeated outbreaks scourged the Caribbean.Between 2001 and 2007, noticeable amounts of cases had emerged and there were even some resulting deaths. But since 2007, Vlugman noted that a significant increase was reported and in one year there were more than one million cases with more than 500 deaths.In the Caribbean alone, he said,Cheap Jerseys Free, there has been a significant increase, with 2008 producing a 150 percent increase of dengue cases over the total of the previous six years.And Guyana has not been spared the impact of dengue,Fernando Rodney Jersey, he insisted,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys, with 250 cases being reported in 2006, 362 cases in 2007 and in 2008,NFL Jerseys Cheap China, 665 cases. Most of these cases, according to Vlugman, were reported in Regions One, Three and Four.“We all should realise that dengue is a disease for which we don’t have a cure, there is no vaccine, at this moment at least, so the strategy is fully focused on prevention and outbreak control.”He asserted though that “the figures of the ‘60s have actually taught us that we need a multi-pronged,Marlon Humphrey Jersey, multi-sectoral, coordinated and integrated approach to control dengue.”It is for this reason, he said,Cheap Jerseys From China, that PAHO is very strongly promoting the integrated management strategy for dengue prevention and control.The strategy, which aims at promoting the functional integration of six key components for dengue control at the national and regional level, has already been approved by Ministers of Health, he added.The six key components are communication for behavioural impact, integrated vector management, epidemiology, laboratory diagnosis, clinical management and the environment.“This strategy goes well beyond the health sector, it is multi-disciplinary, inter-programmatic and cross-boundary and includes national health and environmental authorities, communities, the private sector and the international agencies…among others,” Vlugman explained.The sub-regional workshop commenced yesterday and is expected to continue until Friday at which point a draft integrated strategy for dengue prevention and control should be completed.