Following the conclusion of the Guyana COVID-19 Emergency Response Project (P173916) last month, yesterday at the Cara Lodge Hotel, Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony attended a high-level meeting on One Health.
The meeting aimed to discuss the main findings arising from the project and outline the next steps for implementing the National Action Plan for Health Security under the One Health Approach.
In November 2020, the World Bank approved US$7.5 million for Guyana’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Project to aid the country in combating the pandemic and strengthening its health system. The project focused on enhancing laboratory capacity, supporting screening and surveillance, improving contact tracing, equipping healthcare facilities for better treatment and care of COVID-19 patients, and preparing for the deployment of a safe and approved COVID-19 vaccine.
Subsequently, the Ministry allocated some of the funds to collaborate with agencies such as the World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization, Ministry of Finance, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to implement a One Health Agenda. This agenda aims to prevent and better prepare for current and future health challenges at the human-animal-environment interface through collaboration and coordination across governance frameworks of human, animal, plant, and environmental health programs.
In expressing gratitude to the World Bank for their assistance during the pandemic, Minister Anthony noted that they were flexible in adapting systems that aided in the support for enabling Guyana to effectively control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Additionally, he highlighted the Ministry’s efforts in enhancing surveillance systems and conducting assessments for the One Health Agenda.
“We recognised that we also have to prepare a system for any new pandemic, and any new pandemic that will happen probably would be a jump from animals into a human population, and therefore we have to be able develop a system where we can detect viruses, whether its in an animal population or human population, so that we can see if there’s any connection. And that’s what we’re trying to build with our One Health Initiative.
Fortunately, we’ve had this grant under this project, and we have utilized the resources to be able to finish all the assessments, and we’re now finishing off the National Plan,” he explained.
In closing the Health Minister stated that with the ministry system being mainly paper-based, through the grant they were able to partner with Johns Hopkins University to develop an electronic database system that will be able to get timely information. Along with this, he said that the ministry has implemented telemedicine sites to also aid in real-time information.
Meanwhile, Dr Luis Codina, the PAHO/WHO Country Representative, affirmed the commitment of PAHO/WHO and the Ministry of Health to strengthen every aspect of agencies under the One Health Approach.
Senior Health Specialist for the World Bank, Ms Federica Secci, who was also present, highlighted that the project demonstrated remarkable flexibility in adapting to the evolving environment and addressing the country’s needs. She added that the primary goal of the project was to enhance public health preparedness and serve as a catalyst for change since it birthed the One Health Initiative.
Among those present were UN Resident Coordinator, Guyana, Ms Yesim Oruc; FAO, Ms Oletta Williams; Advisor to the Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy and other representatives from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, World Bank, IICA, GLDA and United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
