Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

Karen Turner (left), mission director for the United States Agency for International Development, converses with officials from the Ministry of Health yesterday, while Dr. Marion Bullock Ducasse, director of emergency services in the Ministry of Health, looks on, during a ceremony at the Ministry of Health's downtown Kingston head offices. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

The Ministry of Health yesterday got a boost in its fight against malaria, after it was presented with $6 million from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The money is the first of two payments and will go toward the purchasing of equipment to assist with fogging and spraying, among other activities.

"We are very grateful to USAID for this contribution," said Health Minister Horace Dalley, noting that this was the first financial assistance outside of the $88 million which was allocated by Cabinet last month.

Ministry lauded

Speaking yesterday during the presentation ceremony held at the Ministry of Health, downtown Kingston offices, Karen Turner, mission director at USAID, lauded the ministry in its efforts to fight the life-threatening disease.

Mr. Dalley said his ministry was confident that the disease was being brought under control.

The Health Minister was unable to say how much of the $88 million has been spent to date, but referred reporters to the accounts department. However, when contacted yesterday evening, the principal financial officer did not have the information on hand.

The Health Ministry reported on December 1 last year that there were four confirmed cases of malaria. The number has since climbed to 209, twenty-five of which were confirmed since the start of the year.

The initially affected areas were: Denham Town, Tivoli Gardens, Trench Town and Delacree Park, all in Kingston. Cases have since been found in Rose Town, Wilton Gardens (Rema), Whitfield Town, among other communities in Kingston. Nine cases were also found in St. Catherine and one in Clarendon.

As a result of the malaria outbreak, the Ministry of Health suspended mass gatherings in the affected areas. However, a source close to the Ministry of Health told The Gleaner yesterday that the ban on mass gatherings in the affected areas is to be lifted this weekend.