After several years of a steady decline, recorded cases of malaria are up again in the country.
Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said on Thursday that the sector recorded between 10,000 and 11,000 cases over the past two years and was on pace to achieve less than 8,000 cases by 2012. “We’ve moved in the opposite direction this year,” he told reporters, noting that they are looking at around 15,000 cases this year. He pointed out that the numbers are not final but the estimated increase is expected.
The majority of cases occurred in the first half of the year, he said, and in recent weeks the numbers have been declining.
Ramsammy said that the migrant mining population in the country is part of the problem but noted that individual practices are among the other factors affecting the reduction efforts.
He said that people are buying medicine from unauthorized sources—mostly shops.
He explained that only a fixed dose combination of medicine is recommended, adding that most of what is being sold at shops are single dose medications. He said that the Food and Drug (F&D) Department has been advised to seize the single dose drugs.
Further, Ramsammy said the ministry has been working with PAHO and USAID to test the medicines found at shops.
He said that 74 specimens were taken from both the public and private sectors within the past few months and were submitted for testing and 14 of the drugs which were artemisinin-based medicines failed the test. “It means that we cannot trust the medicine we are buying in the private sector in terms of malaria…we know where these are coming from and I am not about to say,” Ramsammy said. He disclosed that F&D representatives would be meeting with custom officials in the coming weeks where they will insist that if medicines are coming from “other sources” they are to be held for testing before any distribution is done.
