Skip to content
  • Donate
  • Get Updates
  • Contact Us
top Menu
FacebookTwitterLinkedinInstagramMailRss
 
Guyana Budget & Policy Institute
Guyana Budget & Policy Institute
Public Policy Research and Analysis
  •  
  • ABOUT
    • VISION
    • OUR WORK
    • TEAM
    • BOARD
    • PARTNERS
    • SUPPORT US
  • POLICY ISSUES
    • BUDGET
    • TAXES
    • EDUCATION
    • HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
    • WORK, INCOME & POVERTY
  • RESOURCES
    • ALL RESOURCES
    • FACT SHEETS
    • POLICY REPORTS
    • POLICY BRIEFS
    • EXTERNAL
  • NEWS & MEDIA
    • RELEASES & OTHER MEDIA INFO
    • BUDGET INSTITUTE IN THE NEWS
  • BLOG
  •  
  • ABOUT
    • VISION
    • OUR WORK
    • TEAM
    • BOARD
    • PARTNERS
    • SUPPORT US
  • POLICY ISSUES
    • BUDGET
    • TAXES
    • EDUCATION
    • HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
    • WORK, INCOME & POVERTY
  • RESOURCES
    • ALL RESOURCES
    • FACT SHEETS
    • POLICY REPORTS
    • POLICY BRIEFS
    • EXTERNAL
  • NEWS & MEDIA
    • RELEASES & OTHER MEDIA INFO
    • BUDGET INSTITUTE IN THE NEWS
  • BLOG

Guyana Flirts with a Public Health Crisis: Immunization Rates Fell Despite Record Funding for Health

Blog · Health & Human Services · April 2018 · By Ryan Ramphul*

Once a poster child for immunization coverage, Guyana is flirting with a public health crisis from common preventable illnesses. The percentage of people who received mostly the second and third regimens of vaccines that protect against tuberculosis (TB), polio, pneumococcal disease, and fatal bacterial infections have declined in 2016 (the latest year for which data is available) compared to 2014, according to data by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.  Of note, vaccination rates in 2016 compared to 2014 for:

  • PcV3, which protects against pneumococcal disease declined by 5 percentage points. Pneumococcal disease is the world’s number 1 vaccine-preventable cause of death among infants and children younger than 5 years old.
  • BCG, which protects against TB declined by 4 percentage points. This is especially troubling since this vaccine is administered in one dose and is required only once at birth. TB is an infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs and is characterized by coughing up blood.
  • DPT1, which protects against diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus, – which are all potentially fatal bacterial infections, – declined by 3 percentage points.
  • Pol3, which protects against polio, a disease marked by paralysis and sometimes death, declined by 3 percentage points.

The decline in these rates are significant and should be a cause of serious concern to public health professionals and lawmakers. The drop in these rates are not isolated events, they are consistent with reports of poor quality care and widespread shortages of basic medicines and other medical supplies across the country over the same period and the high rates of mother and child deaths (see report). Thus, they are indicative of poor public health management and the delivery of healthcare. More importantly, they are early warning signs of a looming public health crisis for which the social and economic consequences can be devastating to communities in terms of lives lost, public health deterioration, and cost to taxpayers. Research shows that a 5 percent decline in coverage of similar vaccines resulted in a 3-fold increase in annual illness cases, costing taxpayers an additional US$2.1 million to take control of the problem.

The decline in these vaccination rates are not only striking but a surprise given that from 2014 public health expenditures grew by 29% or almost $6 billion, reaching a total of $26.2 billion in 2016. This was more than the combined birth rate and inflation rate over the over the same period, suggesting that there were enough funds to pay for vaccines at the level of public needs. Whether these funds were used in an efficient and fiscally responsible manner and for their intended purposes in unclear and requires access to data not publicly available. Other factors that could cause these rates to fall include declining access to health facilities, shortage of medical supplies, shortage of medical professionals, etc. The exact reason/s for these decline is critical if we are to reverse these trends and avert a public health crisis.

Lawmakers and public health professionals, alike, must take these findings seriously, take immediate actions to investigate the causes, and corrective measures to ensure that every child gets vaccinated on time. This is not just important for preventing a public health crisis but to ensure that every Guyanese, children and adults, get access to quality health care to lead healthy and productive lives.

* Ryan Ramphul. MS. is the Program Manager and Analyst for Public Health at the Guyana Budget & Policy Institute.    

 

Post navigation

Related posts

Guyana Emergency Early Education Project: Securing Our Children’s Future
April 15, 2020
Oil and Gas: Common Mistakes Governments Make and How to Avoid Them
February 4, 2020
Budget 2019: A Disturbing Trend and Vision for Guyana’s Future
May 9, 2019
No-Confidence Motion Carried. Lawmakers on Both Sides Should Respect the Process and Look to Guyana’s Future.
December 27, 2018
Audit Reports can Boost Accountability and Efficiency if the Government Takes Them Seriously
November 2, 2018
More Pain and Economic Hardship Ahead for Berbicians, Unless the Government Acts
October 26, 2018

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

clear formPost comment

RELATED ARTICLES
  • Bankrupted Treasury left by APNU/AFC will Impact New Government – Budget Institute
    June 25, 2020
  • Guyana Emergency Early Education Project: Securing Our Children’s Future
    April 15, 2020
  • Oil and Gas: Common Mistakes Governments Make and How to Avoid Them
    February 4, 2020
  • Budget 2019: A Disturbing Trend and Vision for Guyana’s Future
    May 9, 2019
POLICY ISSUES
  • BUDGET
  • TAXES
  • EDUCATION
  • HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
  • WORK, INCOME & POVERTY
SIGN UP FOR UPDATES
Smiley face The Guyana Budget & Policy Institute is a non-partisan and non-profit organization that promotes evidence-based and commonsense budget, tax and economic policies for building a strong and vibrant economy that provides opportunities for all Guyanese.
Guyana Budget & Policy Institute
  • Georgetown, Guyana South America
  • (592) 639 5737 (561) 860 5651
  • Send us message

Find us on:

FacebookTwitterRssLinkedinInstagram
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SITE MAP
  • CONTACT US
GBPI Copyright @2017-2020 I Terms of Use I Privacy Statement
  •  
  • ABOUT
    • VISION
    • OUR WORK
    • TEAM
    • BOARD
    • PARTNERS
    • SUPPORT US
  • POLICY ISSUES
    • BUDGET
    • TAXES
    • EDUCATION
    • HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
    • WORK, INCOME & POVERTY
  • RESOURCES
    • ALL RESOURCES
    • FACT SHEETS
    • POLICY REPORTS
    • POLICY BRIEFS
    • EXTERNAL
  • NEWS & MEDIA
    • RELEASES & OTHER MEDIA INFO
    • BUDGET INSTITUTE IN THE NEWS
  • BLOG
policy