Guyana was commended for its immunisation coverage for 2023 in a letter to the Government from the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Regional Director for the Americas Dr. Jarbas Barbosa.
The letter received stated, “The Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) wishes to congratulate the Co-operative Republic of Guyana for the encouraging results in routine immunisation coverage obtained in the last year, as reported in the Estimates of National Immunisation Coverage (WUENIC) published by WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)”.
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony and WHO Regional Director for the Americas, Dr Jarbas Barbosa, at a recently held PAHO/WHO meeting
Under the Expanded Programme on Immunisation, the Health Ministry currently administers vaccines for 17 antigens: Whooping Cough, Measles, Poliomyelitis, Tuberculosis, Yellow Fever, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Mumps, Rubella, Haemophilus Influenza type B, Hepatitis B, Pneumococcal, Meningococcal, Human Papilloma Virus, Varicella. Although the country is divided into 10 administration regions, with four of them being classified as hinterland regions and being hard-to-reach and sparsely populated, the Ministry of Health through its strategies and interventions has managed to stay on top of its countrywide vaccination programme.
Guyana’s success reflects the dedication of leadership and healthcare professionals, the strength of the healthcare system, and the government’s commitment to health investment.
This achievement is important in preventing vaccine-preventable diseases and epidemics and ensuring that key sectors continue to thrive without setbacks caused by public health crises. This success has contributed to the Region of the Americas being the only WHO region to surpass immunisation coverage levels before the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, there is a need for continued progress to maintain this momentum, restore the region to the forefront of global immunisation coverage, and advance strategies to eliminate communicable diseases
Despite the positive outcomes at the national level, PAHO/WHO emphasises the importance of achieving consistent coverage across all regions of Guyana, through the use of a detailed internal analysis. With support from their technical cooperation, which includes innovative strategies, it will allow Guyana to reach underserved populations and overcome barriers to accessing vaccination services.
PAHO/WHO in its congratulatory letter reiterates its commitment to supporting Guyana in advancing vaccination efforts and all initiatives that contribute to consolidating and enhancing immunisation recovery.
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