More than 100 malaria cases now confirmed

[Lazie]

The number of confirmed malaria cases across the island has climbed to 103.

<SPAN class=news_body>But despite the increase in the number of cases, the outbreak remains confined to the western section of the Corporate Area and parts of St. Catherine.

Sunday <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue! important; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana,Arial; POSITION: relative">Health</SPAN> Ministry officials noted that the increasing number of cases was in keeping with projections announced more than two weeks ago when the outbreak was first announced.

Health Minister Horace Dalley is expected to provide an update on the outbreak to his Cabinet <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue! important; BORDER-BOTTOM: blue 1px solid; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana,Arial; POSITION: relative; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">colleagues</SPAN> when they meet on Monday.

Most interest will centre on the efforts to test hundreds of blood samples collected by health workers.

Over the weekend <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue! important; BORDER-BOTTOM: blue 1px solid; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana,Arial; POSITION: relative; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Prime </SPAN><SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue! important; BORDER-BOTTOM: blue 1px solid; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana,Arial; POSITION: relative; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Minister</SPAN> Portia Simpson-Miller was briefed on efforts to control the outbreak.

<SPAN>Following the briefing, the <SPAN id=clicksor_sp_prime &#111;nmouseover='return ClxLaD("prime",event)' &#111;nmouseout='ClxTMo("prime")'>Prime</SPAN> Minister expressed satisfaction with the measures already implemented and commended the health workers.</SPAN></SPAN>

[Lazie]

RE: More than 100 malaria cases now confirmed

<SPAN K2XpR="0" Wicpm="2">PM wants update on Nat’l Public <SPAN id="clicksor_sp_health laboratory" &#111;nmouseover='return ClxLaD("health laboratory",event)' &#111;nmouseout='ClxTMo("health laboratory")'>Health Laboratory</SPAN> modernisation</SPAN>

Prime Minister, Portia Simpson-Miller, has requested that an update on the progress of the modernisation of the National <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 600; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue! important; BORDER-BOTTOM: blue 1px solid; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana,Arial; POSITION: relative; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Public </SPAN><SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 600; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue! important; BORDER-BOTTOM: blue 1px solid; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana,Arial; POSITION: relative; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">Health</SPAN> Laboratory be presented at the first sitting of Cabinet in January.

<SPAN class=news_body K2XpR="0" Wicpm="18"><SPAN K2XpR="0" Wicpm="2">The Prime Minister made the request in light of the unusually high number of blood samples that had to be sent to the National Public Health Lab for testing since the outbreak of <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: blue! important; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana,Arial; POSITION: relative">malaria</SPAN> in several <SPAN id=clicksor_sp_kin &#111;nmouseover='return ClxLaD("kin",event)' &#111;nmouseout='ClxTMo("kin")'>Kin</SPAN>gston and St. Andrew communities.</SPAN>

The request also came amidst concerns that the Public Health laboratory is not adequately staffed to examine the hundreds of blood samples which have been collected.

Speaking at a meeting of the National Emergency Operations Centre at the Ministry of Health on Saturday, Mrs. Simpson-Miller said the lessons learnt from the malaria emergency should help to inform the way forward for the <A class=kLink oncontextmenu="return fals

[Hortical]

RE: More than 100 malaria cases now confirmed

I heard the outbreak emerged from a community that lacked basic sanitary facilities, and some people often disposed of human wastes via scandal bags which are then dumped into a gully.

[Mosiah]

RE: More than 100 malaria cases now confirmed

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Lazie (12/18/2006)<SPAN class=news_body Wicpm="18" K2XpR="0">

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has condemned reports of health workers being harassed in the affected communities, while carrying out activities to contain the outbreak of malaria.

</SPAN>

</DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>This is why education is so important. People can fool suh?!? </DIV>