Dominica seeks to lessen threat of vector borne illnesses

By Caribbean Medical News Staff
As a result of climate change, Dominica is positioning itself to protect its citizens from the risk of vector borne illnesses. The announcement was made by Health Minister, Dr. Kenneth Darroux while addressing a stakeholder’s conference on a Health Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Roseau.
The reason for the Assessment is to study the country’s vulnerabilities to three priority areas including vectors, water borne diseases and food. An adaptation plan is also being developed to guide the implementation of programs geared at building resilience in the health sector.
Funded by the World Meteorological Organization and Health Canada, the adaptation plan, will be drafted within the next six months and is worth in excess of one hundred thousand dollars.
“These impacts on climate change on health will depend on many factors. These factors include the effectiveness of a community’s public health and safety systems to address or prepare for the risk and the behaviour, age, gender or economic status of individuals affected,” Dr Darroux added.
He also said, “We are at risk of many other diseases such as Malaria, the West Nile Virus and any other strains of the Dengue Virus which cause Dengue fever. These vector borne diseases appear to be on the increase appear and many studies have shown that this may be the result of the effects of climate change.”
Darroux also spoke to the accessibility of organic foods and its importance to reduce the incidences of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs). “The availability of healthy organic grown food is important so we can see the various linkages, not only the direct linkages between the vectors and also water security, food security, water quality, respiratory diseases and the metal health impact of disasters and other traumatic events brought about as a result of climate change,” he said.
Sally Edwards, who is the Sustainable Development Advisor at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), said that Dominica is leading the way in the Eastern Caribbean in its work on health and climate change.