Critical that support be given to the Ministry of Health’s Comprehensive Child and Young Health Programme

I am compelled to heap accolades on the Ministry of Health, and by extension, the Government of Guyana, for the on-going “Comprehensive Child and Young Health Programme (CYHP).” This, as I recall, was launched in August 2023, and for starters, roped in some 11,000 nursery school children for evaluation for various medical issues. What I like is that the emphasis has not waned regarding these children’s health, and in fact, the CYHP is now being be expanded to include primary school children. In this regard, I remind our nation that childhood development is an important determinant of health over a person’s lifetime. It is well documented that early developmental opportunities can provide a foundation for children’s academic success, health, and general well-being. I know from basic biology that preschool-aged children’s brains grow very quickly and are about 90 percent of the size of an adult’s brain by age 6. This growth allows children to develop functional skills related to moving their bodies, understanding the world, problem solving, communicating with others, and regulating their emotions and behaviour. This is interlinked sociologically and psychologically where the research has shown that experiences during early childhood significantly affect connections within the brain that determine a child’s functional development.

My point, Editor, is that we need to start early and do diagnostic and pre-emptive health work with the children. That is exactly what this CYHP is so vital. The word from Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony is that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic Government is really driving “… a comprehensive and ambitious plan to eradicate cervical cancer as a public health concern.” The Minister explained that the CYHP has so far “… enabled the screening of nursery school children throughout Guyana and was supported by Hess Corporation and Mount Sinai Health Systems in New York, United States of America (USA).” Con-cerning the Mount Sinai Health System, it is regarded as “… one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with more than 43,000 employees working across eight hospitals, over 400 outpatient practices, over 300 labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex healthcare challenges of our time, discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering highquality care to all who need it.”

This clearly says that Guyana is onto something exceptionally good where health issues for the children are being given their rightful place. Then shoring up the promise is that, the Government has already allocated funds in the 2024 Budget, to treat children for free, in the event that any health problems are found in them. These health issues cover quite a range too, as the health screening staff are “… are checking their eyes, we’re checking their ears, we’re checking their mouth and we do an overall check-up for them, (and) making sure that they have the ageappropriate vaccines.” Editor, I do sound a word of advice regarding this all-important project. My plea comes in backing what the Ministry of Health is imploring, that is, that urging all “… parents and guardians to support the initiative so that their child or children could excel academically, free from health constraints.” This connection of health with cognitive progress I have already mention, and it must not be taken lightly.

Information abounds on the biology of health, explaining how experiences and environmental influences “get under the skin” and interact with genetic predispositions. As a matter of fact, science has established that, “Early experience literally is built into our bodies, for better or for worse,” (as these) “Early experiences are built into our bodies, creating biological ‘memories’ that shape

development, for better or for worse.” For example, “Toxic stress, caused by significant adversity, can undermine the development of the body’s stress response systems, and affect the architecture of the developing brain, the cardiovascular system, the immune system, and metabolic regulatory controls.” Also, these physiological disruptions can persist far into adulthood and lead to lifelong impairments in both physical and mental health.

I think my point is well made - be comprehensive right from the onset, and this is what CYHP is all about. I feel so much better that the investment is gathering momentum and that the Mount Sinai team will advise and help develop high quality primary care, specialized services in cardiology and oncology, and significant improvements at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.