The Ministry of Public Health Social Development & Labor Section General Health Care a section of Collective Prevention Services officially opened the Dengue training at the A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall on Monday, November 4, 2013. Minister of Public Health Social Development &Labor, Cornelius De Weever officially opened the week long training for members of public health and stakeholders.
The training aims to increase and sustain the knowledge of the trainees with respect to mosquito and dengue control. As there is no effective vaccine or medicine available as yet to interrupt dengue transmission, disease prevention through vector control is an important component of disease control, but also a very challenging one. For this reason surveillance and control of the Ae. Aegypti mosquito will receive extended attention during the training. In addition, there will also be focus on dengue surveillance and control predominantly from a public health perspective and less from a clinical perspective or individual case management. Therefore, public education and participation will be presented.
At the end of the training everything will come together when the importance of integrated collaboration of actors will be stressed. To prepare for the future attention will be given to the possibilities of the future arrival of the Chikungunya and the Asian tiger mosquito, Ae. Albopictus.
"This is a form of the Ministry moving forward as we try to obtain as much knowledge as possible to take care of our community," said Minister Cornelius De Weever.
The facilitators for the trainings are: Dr. M. Braks, Public Health Professional, Dutch National Institute of Public Health & the Environment (RIVM) Netherlands; Dr. Francis Schaffner, Entomologist AviaGIS; Dr. H. van Berg, visiting senior Scientist and independent Research Professional, Wageningen University, Netherlands.
Photo caption: A section of the attendees at the Dengue training opening at the A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall.