* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
THOUSANDS of families at risk of contracting Zika in El Salvador will be supported by a £25,000 grant from the Isle of Man Government’s International Development Committee.
The grant will support the work of global children’s charity Plan International in providing vital prevention kits, cleaning kits and providing information and advice on how to prevent the spread of Zika to the most vulnerable families.
El Salvador is one of the worst affected countries in Central and South America by Zika.
About 9,500* cases have been confirmed in the country, which has a small population of just 6 million. New cases are confirmed on a weekly basis.
Fighting the spread of Zika is crucial. As many as four million people could be affected by Zika, according to an expert at the WHO.**
The virus is having a worrying impact on families in El Salvador. The country has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in Central and South America, while 40% of pregnancies in the region are unintended.***
Rodrigo Bustos, Country Director in Plan El Salvador, says “Unfortunately, Zika is exacerbating existing social inequalities in El Salvador. It is hitting communities where young women and girls have limited access to quality housing, sanitation, health services and information.
“This grant will not only provide communities and families with prevention information, but much needed equipment such as mosquito nets, thiamine repellent and water storage containers to deter mosquitos.”
Plan is also working with the Ministry of Health in El Salvador on a national campaign which promotes the use of young fish in water sources which feed on mosquito larvae.
The Chair of the Isle of Man Government’s International Development Committee, Hon Philip Anderson Gawne MHK, says: “The Isle of Man is committed to playing its part in assisting some of the world’s most vulnerable people. Plan is performing a vital role on the ground in El Salvador and the funding provided by the Isle of Man will help the charity to support those most at risk of contracting Zika.”
Plan has so far supported over 30,000 families with mosquito prevention kits and has taught almost 20,000 children about Zika transmission, symptoms and prevention.
Plan also supports the call for greater investment in research and development to gain a better understanding of the links between the Zika virus and other conditions and to develop medicines and vaccines.
To make a donation to support Plan’s work in El Salvador and across the world, call 0800 526 848 or visit www.plan-uk.org
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About Zika
* Data from the Weekly epidemiological report, Ministry of Health, March 21, 2016.
Population of El Salvador - http://data.worldbank.org/country/el-salvador
** Marcos Espinal - Director of the Department of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis at the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), regional office for the WHO - made this claim publically on 28 January 2016.
*** 0% of pregnancies in the Central American region are unintended (Ref: Population Council 2014. ‘Intended and Unintended Pregnancies Worldwide
