Guyana is grappling with an alarming dengue epidemic, but mosquito control agents in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni are expressing their concern about unsafe working conditions, despite the measures announced by CTG president Gabriel Serville.
In Guyana, the dengue epidemic is alarming, and highlights the challenges faced by mosquito control agents in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni. Andre Mateo, Deputy Head of DDAS De Saint-Laurent expressed deep uneasiness among staff responsible for fighting the spread of the virus.
The latter highlights many great demands, especially shortages of material and human resources. Agents deplore the absence of proper vehicles and adequate personnel to effectively cover the region.
There were many more of us in the past, and yet the size of our territory to cover has only increased.
he laments.
Despite these concerns, the president of CTG, Gabriel Serville, announced measures to strengthen the fight against dengue fever. An investment of 2 million euros has been released for the purchase of pesticides and the hiring of additional staff. However, these advertisements were not enough to allay the fear of mosquito control agents.
The announced measures did not fully meet our expectations
, declares Andre Mateo. “We face risks on a daily basis without the necessary safeguards. CTG’s announcements are a first step, but much remains to be done to ensure our safety and efficiency on the ground.”
Gabriel Serville emphasized the importance of the initiative:
CTG has already put its hand in its pocket, because we have already committed less than 2 million euros to buy pesticides that we risk failing in the region. We are also going to increase the number of men on the ground… to deal with this epidemic on a rare scale that we have not experienced in almost twenty years.
The dengue crisis in Guyana is a major challenge for health officials and frontline workers. As the epidemic continues to spread, mosquito control activists are concerned that concrete measures must be taken to ensure their safety and well-being.
