RE: My First Post
Venezuela ended with this epidemic in the 60s and now it is back, for nobody it is secret that in Venezuela there is a serious problem of supplies, it is really very difficult to obtain medicines to fight this disease. Most of the patients that come to seek treatment come from state Bolivar, which is a state located very central Venezuela, where it has been a titanic task to get the medicine that should be administered to attack the parasitosis that attacks the liver and red blood cells. It is very serious that preventive actions are not being taken to stop the epidemic. When in the sixties it was possible to stop malaria, it was done with very simple strategies such as fumigation, use of repellents, distribution of mosquito nets, which is a very economic measure, it is vital to reactivate antimalarial campaigns that were successful and that have declined. At this time there are no sanitary control measures, there are no vehicles for antimalarial work, there is no money for insecticides. People are suffering, there is a health and humanitarian crisis but nevertheless Venezuelans remain strong and we always hope.
It is a devastating situation for the people of Venezuela, particularly Bolivar to not be supplied with the medication needed to fight malaria! Thanks for pointing out the importance of preventative public health and environmental health measures to combat the burden of malaria in Venezuela. It is so important to maintain the basic procedures that have been successful, such as distribution of mosquito nets and repellents to the population.
The financial burden on the country's economy is significant because there are flow-on effects. While it is resource-intensive and costly to procure and distribute the medication for treatment of malaria and also conducting the fumigation you mentioned, the reduced productivity of the nation as many people are likely to be too sick to work is a key consideration. In turn, the nation's economy would be weakened due to reduced foreign trade.
Thus, it is in the government's interest to address the short-term effects of the outbreak to protect the health of their people by spending the money required on treatment and preventative campaigns. However, as you alluded to, whether the country can afford to provide their people with treatment and prevention is where it becomes a crisis... I hope to address the issue of developing countries being in debt to developed countries in my future blogs.
Thanks for sharing your perspective of the malaria outbreak in Venezuela. Great to hear that Venezuelans are remaining strong and have hope!