The report in yesterday's Gleaner of Jamaica being free of tuberculosis and other communicable diseases would hardly surprise many and yet should serve as a morale booster for many persons working in our public health system. It is but one more reminder that the diligent work of our public health officials over many years to ensure that there is an ongoing immunisation programme in schools and health clinics has borne and is bearing fruit.
We do note however that sometime last year there were reports of a slippage in the rate of immunisation of infants. The Ministry of Health, at the time, responded that it was satisfied that whatever reduction was noted in the data, would be addressed within good time so as not to put the lives of infants or the wider society at risk
We have to remain vigilant so that the gains made in containing and eliminating the spread of diseases such as tuberculosis and polio are maintained. In times of economic constraint parents sometimes lose sight of the importance of their own role in seeing to the health of their newborns. They then push onto the backburner regular visits to antenatal clinics and other institutions of primary health care.
The inadequacy of public resources because of an under-performing economy might also force the government to seek to address its most urgent priorities, which may not include procuring adequate supplies of immunisation material. We cannot allow this to happen for any reason whatsoever.
From time to time, lapses in the management of public health such as in the removal of garbage or failure quickly to implement vector control programmes after long and continuous periods of rain have led to fears about a potential outbreak of leptospirosis, or water-borne diseases. Happily public health officials have managed to keep on top of these situations preventing any major outbreak of diseases.
We should not however take the advances made in public health for granted. With continuous trans-global movements of people, we have to remain vigilant to ensure that the gains made locally are maintained and improved upon.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
