NCD Commission lobbies for increased HPV, HBA1c testing

The Presidential National Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Commission wants to see more action taken to lift testing rates for Haemoglobin A1C (HBA1c) and the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in Guyana, citing that access can be improved across the country.
On the occasion of World Health Day, Chairman of the Commission, Dr Leslie Ramsammy penned disappointment on the HPV campaign as he highlighted the need for more awareness. HPV testing is critical for Guyana to identify persons at risk for cervical and other cancers.
“We are disappointed that the education and awareness programme and the strategies to lift the HPV vaccination among boys and girls appear stagnated and little effort is being made to improve HPV vaccination coverage. Equally, we are disappointed that HPV testing is still very inaccessible in Guyana,” Dr Ramsammy shared.
The former Health Minister explained that for three years, the Commission has advocated for more robust testing for HBA1c in primary healthcare but it is still difficult to access in the public health sector.
“Very few persons have access to HBA1c testing in health posts and health centres and in district hospitals. Disappointingly, very few people have access to HBA1c testing in regional hospitals still as we observe WHD 2023. We urge the Health Ministry to correct this lapse.”
The NCD Commission continues to advocate for more action to address the social determinants of health. Without a robust campaign to address the social determinants of health, the Chairman said no development strategy is effective if, at the core, it does not cater to individuals and communities to have access to quality health services.
The Government of Guyana has increased significantly, its health investment, with more than a doubling of the per capita investment in health between 2020 and 2023. At least seven new hospitals have already started construction and all existing hospitals will be re-developed. The physical and technological infrastructure of the public health sector is being transformed. Human resource transformation has also begun. A telemedicine programme is linking people from the most remote communities to doctors at GPHC.
In acknowledging these advances, the Ministry of Health was urged to elevate the strategies and actions to manage and control cancers in our country.
“We are aware of specific actions the Government has embarked on with Mount Sinai of New York and with the Chinese Medical Brigade to elevate the cancer response programmes in Guyana. We feel Guyana can, indeed, do more to elevate the cancer response to protect our people.”
Food and nutrition remain a major strategy in the fight against both NCDs and Infectious diseases. While children are still exposed to unhealthy foods, Ramsammy said efforts to mitigate the problem remain timid.
“Front of the Package labelling cannot be yet another slogan. We must advocate and ensure that it happens. Salty, sugary, ultra-proceed food is killing us and we remain on the sidelines as bad food kills more of us than any infectious pandemic has ever done. More than 74 per cent of our deaths are now due to the NCDs,” he positioned.
More than 32 per cent of all NCD deaths are premature – which he noted is an opportunity for Guyana to do more. The Ministry was lauded for creating the Diabetic Centre at Lusignan as it adds to the vision of having quality diabetic services for all citizens.
It added, “The last Diabetic Treatment and Care Guidelines, Edition 3, was published in 2008. Since then, no amendment has been made. We congratulate the Health Minister for his personal leadership to ensure that the guidelines are updated to include many new innovations in the new guideline, which is being developed with support from Mount Sinai.”