$8 million spent fighting zika virus

A LARGE part of the $10 million set aside to deal with the zika virus in Panama has been uses says Health Minister Francisco Javier Terrientes.

The government approved the fund in February and since then $8 million has been spent.

Until May 1 there have been 245 confirmed  cases of zika virus in the country. The first cases were diagnosed in December.

Terrientes said  that the money has been spent to educate the community about the importance of eliminating mosquito breeding sites which transmit the dengue, chikungunya and zika viruses. Money has also been paid for fumigation and research grants.

In April the Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies, the National Secretariat of Science and Technology, the Institute for Scientific Research and High Technology Services and the Ministry of Health signed an agreement to begin an investigation of reducing mosquito populations.

Terrientes said that the advantage that Panama has over other countries in the region is that it has agencies such as the Gorgas Institute for which allows it to better respond to health issues.

However, he said, the most important thing is that the community works to eliminate breeding sites to control the diseases.