Dengue Fight Continues In St. James

The St. James Health Department remains proactive in its fight against dengue fever, with the Department pressing ahead with vector-control activities in the parish, despite the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Addressing the monthly meeting of the St. James Municipal Corporation on April 9, Acting Medical Officer of Health for St. James, Dr. Francine Phillips-Kelly, said the Health Department has made significant strides in the fight against dengue, with the parish reporting only four suspected cases in March.

“We [St. James Health Department] are anticipating that we will be able to continue to maintain the gains that we have had in the fight against dengue at this time because we see where the efforts have really paid off,” she said.

Dr. Phillips-Kelly informed that the dengue outbreak has not been “declared over”, noting that the National Epidemiologist will make that declaration when “we have seen a six-month period of sustained low levels of the vector-borne disease”.

For her part, Acting Chief Public Health Inspector for St. James, Sherika Lewis, reported that up to March 31 this year, the Health Department inspected 17,683 premises, with mosquito breeding sites discovered at 1,315.

She informed that as a result of these inspections, the parish’s Aedes index decreased from 9.8 per cent in February to 7.4 per cent at the end of March, which means that they are discovering fewer breeding sites.

She added that vector-control workers inspected 56,000 containers, of which 2,500 were found to be breeding mosquitoes.

Ms. Lewis further noted that 169 communities were visited, 52 of which were fogged.

Meanwhile, the Acting Chief Public Health Inspector hailed the enhanced vector-control programme spearheaded by the Ministry of Health and Wellness as a success, noting that it significantly restricted the prevalence of mosquitoes in the parish.

“The Ministry of Health and Wellness has divested the programme to the various regional health authorities. The Health Department in St James is hoping to maintain our 94 current [temporary task force] workers employed [under the programme]. Let me use this opportunity to express appreciation for the programme. It has been effective in allowing the parish to control the mosquito population,” she added.