Jamaica Approves Additional $879,000 for Malaria Control Efforts

Jamaican Information Minister Donald Buchanan on Monday announced that the country's Cabinet has approved an additional $879,000 for malaria control efforts in the country, bringing the total amount allocated for malaria control to about $1.3 million, the Jamaica Gleaner reports (Rose/Thompson, Jamaica Gleaner, 12/19). The Jamaican Cabinet earlier this month approved $450,000 to tackle an outbreak of malaria in the country's Kingston area and the neighboring parish of St. Catherine. Buchanan said Jamaica's Cabinet approved the funding to support an aggressive prevention and control program that aims to identify people with malaria, treat malaria cases promptly, and prevent complications and a further spread of the disease. The government also has increased insecticide spraying and launched a campaign to eliminate stagnant water where mosquitoes can breed. According to the Ministry of Health, the outbreak was imported and endemic malaria is not likely in Jamaica (GlobalHealthReporting.org, 12/6). Sheila Campbell Forrester, acting chief medical officer at the health ministry, said that Jamaica has recorded a total of 103 malaria cases since the outbreak began (Jamaica Gleaner, 12/19). More than 100 malaria cases have been detected among 317 samples sent to CDC last week, and 334 samples are undergoing tests, according to the Caribbean Media Corporation. Jamaica's National Health Laboratory receives almost 300 samples daily from areas affected by the outbreak, according to Campbell Forester (Caribbean Media Corporation, 12/19).