Guyana has made significant strides in controlling leprosy and the goal is to have total elimination by 2030.

This is according to Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, who during his address yesterday, at a Subregional Leprosy Training Workshop currently ongoing in Georgetown, commended the Pan America Health Organization (PAHO) for helping with the country’s leprosy treatment programme. He emphasized that this timely workshop will equip health professionals with the tools and knowledge needed to identify and treat cases early.

The initiative, which has eight countries participating, is aimed at strengthening clinical, laboratory, and programmatic capacities across participating countries to enhance leprosy case detection, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up.

He noted that another key part in identification and treatment of leprosy is to ensure that stigma does not hinder care and rehabilitation.

Minister Anthony further pointed out that Guyana’s Health Ministry continues to scale up national programmes which also target other priority conditions such as cervial cancer, which is the second most common cancer among females in the country, and epilepsy.

This five-day workshop was launched by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) and entails a combination of theoretical sessions, hands-on clinical practice with patients, supervised laboratory activities, and modules on prevention, treatment, and documentation.

The training will help countries adopt best practices and accelerate progress toward the global target of zero leprosy.