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MARIGOT--Agence Regional de Santé (ARS) of Guadeloupe, St. Martin and St. Barths celebrated a five-year milestone on Friday, with a summary of five main achievements since April 1, 2010.
Délégué Territorial for St. Martin Pascal Godefroy, and Stanley Hanson in charge of vector control, talked to reporters at a press conference.
It was noted the chikungunya virus that arrived on the island December 6 and 30, 2013, in St. Martin and St. Barths affected 13 to 15 per cent of the population of both islands. The ARS initiated a series of actions to fight the epidemic including regular fogging, home interventions, and communicative and awareness actions.
The epidemic phase (phase three - monitoring programme) ended on April 30, 2014, and May 22, 2014, in St. Martin and St. Barths, respectively.
Hanson said the chikungunya situation currently is "quiet" and mosquito fogging was suspended on the French side due to a diminished risk. "But, that does not mean cases will not spring up occasionally so we have to remain vigilant," he indicated.
Godefroy confirmed epidemic phases are over but "chikungunya, like dengue, will still stay with us for many years."
The second achievement has been the establishment of a local health contract (2014-2017) signed December 5, 2014, between Director General of ARS Patrice Richard, and President of the Collectivité Aline Hanson.
Six guidelines were provided; nutrition and action on obesity, prevention of diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, establishment of a local council of mental health, establishment of screening actions for development disorders in children and the elderly, and implementation of guidelines for a Youth Health Plan for St. Martin and creation of a medical and social department. A senior citizens home of 29 beds was established in St. Barths on December 12, 2014, in cooperation with the hospital in St. Barths.
The fourth achievement was the development of regional cooperation on health between St. Martin and St. Maarten. The two sides of the island signed a Declaration of Intent to fight chikungunya on April 4, 2014, and on March 24, 2014, a Letter of Intent signed between Louis-Constant Fleming Hospital and the St. Maarten Medical Center to follow the April 3, 2012, signing in Paris of a health cooperation agreement between France and The Netherlands for Guadeloupe and St. Martin, and Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten.
The last accomplishment was the establishment of a Youth Health Plan for St. Martin developed in late 2014, to address the specific problems of youth health. A number of key actions were validated including a Youth Health Passport and awareness programmes on sexually transmitted diseases and addictions.
