Drought causes disease worry in Jamaica

KINGSTON, Jamaica, February 19, 2010 – The drought conditions in Jamaica are creating disease concerns.

Health Minister Rudyard Spencer yesterday said the lack of rain is contributing to an increase in the incidence of some communicable diseases, noting that there has been a hike in gastroenteritis, malaria and dengue fever cases.

"As of the end of January 2010, there were 19 confirmed cases of dengue fever compared to 10 for the same period in 2009. Since the start of this year, we've had four confirmed cases of malaria (and) the total number of gastroenteritis cases up to the end of January was 3,890, a 30 percent increase over the 2,989 cases reported during the same period last year," he said yesterday.

The situation has officials on alert and Spencer said teams from the Ministry of Health have been conducting house to house fever surveillance in the affected communities, anti-malaria treatment is being given to those who need it, and mosquito eradication programmes are being put in place.

Spencer said his ministry will also embark on a national handwashing campaign to increase public awareness about the importance of proper sanitation practices to help prevent the spread of gastroenteritis.

Several Caribbean countries are being affected by the ongoing drought and some have put water rationing programmes in place.

St Lucia is said to be ready to declare a water-related emergency, as the John Compton Dam which supplies the north of the island sees its levels drop by a foot per day.