Massive programme with religious communities on public health issues coming – President Ali

…as 3rd National Ramadan Village launches

The Guyana Government will soon be partnering with the various religious communities in Guyana on an initiative to address a series of public health issues and promote a healthy lifestyle among citizens.

President Dr Irfaan Ali made this announcement on Sunday evening at the launch of the 3rd National Ramadan Village on the lawns of the Muslim Youth Organization (MYO) ground on Woolford Avenue, Georgetown.
“We are going to launch a massive programme with our religious community on public health issues, on primary health care. We are going to create in every single area with these religious institutions, a primary health care facility where we can do checks, where we can do corrective healing, where we can do counseling, and where we can change living style and living habits from the ground up,” Dr Ali stated.
The Guyanese Leader noted that there are already examples of such initiatives being rolled out.
At the Eccles Masjid (Eccles Sunnatul Jamaat) on the East Bank of Demerara, a health outreach was recently held as part of its public health education programme that was previously initiated.
“[For] our religious institutions, this is where we want that consciousness to go. Whether it’s the temples, the mosques, or the churches. We want us to be each other’s keeper. We must lead a revolution in public health education against diabetes, against all the primary health care challenges and issues that we have. Too many persons are going on dialysis…We want you to prevent dialysis,” President Ali stressed.
In addition to its health programme, the Eccles Masjid is also working on launching a programme on how to keep the community in which the mosque is situated clean.
Commending the Eccles Masjid on these initiatives, the Head of State underscored the importance of community and being each other’s keepers.
“We have a duty towards each other. We have a duty towards each other in the family of humanity. Not only in the context of Islam, we have a duty towards each other as members of the family of humanity,” he emphasised.
Community and inclusivity
During his address, President Ali also spoke about the importance of the National Ramadan Village in not just creating a space for Muslims but the wider Guyanese community. He said this example of community and inclusivity has drawn global attention.
“When I travel around the world, be it in the Middle East and all over the place, people ask about the concept of the Ramadan Village. And that is what this village brings to life – that level of inclusivity,” the Guyanese Leader noted.
Building on immense success of the previous two years, the 2026 edition of the National Ramadan Village will feature an expanded experience that includes more vendors, a children’s play park and enhanced tourism offerings aimed at attracting visitors locally, internationally and members of the Guyanese Diaspora.
The more than 80 vendors, both Muslims and non-Muslims, will display a wide range of halal cuisine, clothing, Islamic literature, accessories, gift items and educational exhibits on Islam.
This village is being organised by the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG), the MYO, and the Guyana Islamic Trust (GIT) in collaboration with the Government of Guyana and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA). It serves as a place of unity, learning and cultural exchange during the holy month of Ramadan.
“Grateful, At home, Compassionate to the world”
Speaking at Sunday’s launch Head of Dawah and Education at CIOG, Shaikh Moeen ul-Hack, said the key themes of this year’s Ramadan Village is “Grateful, At home, Compassionate to the world.”
“This theme requires us to look inward at our land – our beautiful country, where Muslims can gather openly, sound the call to prayer five times per day, host a Ramadan Village and welcome all to space that will be transformed into a place of worship and reflection. And for this, we should be deeply grateful. Because in our home, difference is strength, diversity is celebrated, faith flourishes in the light,” he stated.
According to the CIOG official, the kind of leadership demonstrated by President Ali with initiatives like the National Ramadan Village has positioned Guyana, with its mosaic of faiths and cultures, as an example of what it looks like when a nation chooses inclusion over discrimination.
“This National Ramadan Village…[is] a place where a families share food, stories, and spiritual nourishment, where our non-Muslims brothers and sisters are not outsiders but our honoured guests… We’re also making a quiet but firm statement that here in Guyana, we intend to continue nurturing that model through stronger institutions, deeper inter-faith understanding, and a commitment from State and society alike that hatred would find no sanctuary here,” he noted.
The National Ramadan Village will be opened every Friday through Sunday from 16:00h to 22:00h and is expected to attract 30,000 visitors during the entire month of Ramadan, which commences on February 19.