From 2019 to date, the incidence of malaria has decreased by 80% in the areas where Doctors Without Borders has been present and worked in collaboration with local authorities
After almost two years the organization Doctors without borders (MSF) ended its activities in the state of Sucre and transferred them to Doctors of the World. The decision responds to the characteristics of the NGO, which tries to dispose of its resources in places where there are many needs and few actors that can provide support.
The business transfer plan started from september until the beginning of October last year, when Doctors of the World completely took over the activities of primary and secondary health, malaria control and water and sanitation in the centers that MSF supported in Sucre.
MSF continued to make occasional donations of medicines and medical supplies until March 2022, when it also formally handed over two high-temperature incinerators to the Antonio Patricio de Alcalá (Cumaná) and Santos Aníbal Domici (Carúpano) hospitals, to give final destination to all waste and medical waste from these health centers according to their classification –biological, medical-surgical, sharps and glass-, and to prevent infectious diseases to medical personnel, patients and the community that lives in the surroundings.
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“We learned of the interest that Doctors of the World, an institution with a long history of humanitarianism, had in working in the state and supporting people in vulnerable conditions, and we saw it as a good opportunity not only to continue the work that MSF has been carrying out in the area, but also to focus our efforts on other populations in the country that are unassisted and that require medical assistance”, explains Diana Sánchez, MSF coordinator in the Sucre Project.
He also pointed out that the period that the organization was working in the entity it was possible to verify improvements in the state public health system.
Fewer cases of malaria
After working with the Institute of Environmental Health in the hot spots of Yaguaraparo, Coicual, Putucual, Guaca, Caño Ajíes, Agua Clarita and San Vicente, where the presence of malaria was high, a considerable decrease in cases was evidenced.
From 2019 to date, the incidence of malaria has decreased by 80% in the areas where Doctors Without Borders has been present and worked in collaboration with local authorities. In the first half of 2019, 8,566 cases of the disease were reported in these areas, while in 2021, 1,641 were reported.
A formula that has been essential for obtaining these results in support of the Malariology Institute has been the implementation of three lines of work: diagnosis and treatment, vector control and health promotion.
Maternal care available
Promoting the development of a maternal route program in outpatient clinics and hospitals where Doctors Without Borders was present was also one of the organization’s priorities. Accompaniment was provided in patient consultations to reinforce compliance with medical protocols and guarantee adequate care.
Structural adjustments were made so that the health centers were prepared for this type of care, and vitamins and tests and reagents were supplied for pre- and post-natal medical examinations.
During the first half of 2021, MSF supported more than 5,200 prenatal consultations, almost 2,000 deliveries and 4,964 rapid tests for haemoglobin, HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B.
Access to health
From February 2019 to October 2021, when Doctors Without Borders completed its process of transferring activities, the organization provided support to eight public health structures; supported 64,562 medical care consultations, of which 20,400 were related to sexual and reproductive health; carried out 46,151 malaria tests and diagnosed 18,233 positive cases; distributed 8,500 mosquito nets; raised awareness among 87,261 people through health promotion; carried out 2,671 trainings for medical and non-medical personnel, and donated 11,540,006 medicines and medical items to health structures.
MSF bases its operations where there is a need for health care and tries to prioritize those vulnerable communities with the greatest needs. The organization maintains its commitment to guarantee that vulnerable populations in other areas of Venezuela have access to free and quality health services, which is how it continues to work in the states of Amazonas, Anzoátegui, Bolívar and Táchira.
With information from Press release
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