Announcements 2019
XXV Congreso de la Federación Latinoamericana de Parasitología, Panama: November 24-27, 2019
Donvan Leiva and Alvaro Cruz were at the XXV Congreso de la Federación Latinoamericana de Parasitología (Congress of the Latin American Federation of Parasitology) in Panama. Donovan was an invited speaker and Alvaro was a participant.
6th Annual UB Science Fair and Open Day: November 22, 2019
Students from primary to tertiary level as well as members of the Belmopan community came out to learn about the different vectors and to gain knowledge on threats such as the Zika virus, Dengue, Chagas and preventative methods.
San Estevan Roman Catholic School Outreach on Life Cycle of Mosquitoes: September 4, 2019
This was a session organized by teacher Dianeli Medina for her Standard 2 class as part of their curriculum. The presentation was focused on the life cycle of mosquitoes, breeding site and what students can do to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes in their homes.
The main topic was the life cycle of mosquitoes where students had the opportunity to see real mosquito’s eggs, larvae and eggs for some it was the first time. They were also to learn the difference between a male and female mosquito. The presentation ended by evaluating knowledge by asking students questions and providing them with a token for correct answers.
Training of the Community Health Workers: August 28, 2019
On August 28th 2019, BVEC held a training session for the Community Health Workers in the North of Belize. The theme of the training session was to promote the use of tablets for more efficient and timely data collection in the villages. The session was attended by the CHWs, the HECOPAB supervisor Mr. Rafael Castillo, the donor of the IMPACTS project Mr. Brett Nordic as well as Dr. John Wilson from the Mayo Clinic. This session was a follow up to the session in April and the IMPACTS foundation donated 12 tablets to the MOH for use in the field. This will allow for accurate and timely data entry for the Ministry of Health and as a result cases could be detected and responded to in a more efficient manner.
Solid Waste Management and Disease Prevention Workshop, at La Inmaculada R.C. School: August 5, 2019
This was a special presentation targeted at primary and secondary school teachers in an effort to educate on the link between proper solid waste management and mosquito-borne diseases. The presentation was mainly focused on Dengue and Dengue mosquito vectors particularly because Belize is experiencing high Dengue infection rates as compared to previous years.
The main topics covered were primary Dengue Vectors, breeding preferences, Dengue facts and debunking of common myths surrounding mosquitoes. Teachers were tasked with outlining innovative ways of disposing solid waste and preventing mosquito-borne diseases other than getting rid of potential breeding sites, after which they had to present and justify with the information that had already been presented. A pre and post test was administered to teachers to evaluate knowledge learnt.
Entomological Training Session on Vectors: July 7, 2019
BVEC held a training session for the Ministry of Health personnel in the north. The theme of the training session was to provide entomological background on common vectors that transmit disease which are native to Belize. It was attended by Public Health Inspectors as well as members of the Vector Control Department. Introductions by each of the team members were conducted followed by a short pre-test in order to gauge the level of understanding that the MOH personnel had towards the topics being taught. Finally the cohort got some training on identification of vectors and health education necessary for protection against disease carriers.
Douglas Health Fair: June 27, 2019
BVEC gave a presentation focused on mosquitoes and the diseases that they transmit, especially with the beginning of the wet season in June. They did a special focus on Aedes mosquitoes as these represent one of the most common vectors during the rainy season and the main cause for seasonal Dengue outbreaks in Belize. The presentation was followed by a question and answer session, which was mostly surrounding the lifecycle of the mosquito and how this impacts control of the vector itself.
6TH ANNUAL UB BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY SYMPOSIUM: MAY 17, 2019
On May, 17th, 2019 the University of Belize held its 6th Annual Biology and Chemistry Symposium. BVEC continue to be a very active partner with the University of Belize and this year they sponsored prizes for the poster competition as well as printing of the Abstract booklets. This year, one of BVEC’s very own, Marla Magana, presented at the Symposium the Summary Outcomes of the Vector Surveillance component that BVEC is involved in through the IMPACTS project. The winners of the Poster competition were 1st Prize: Mr. Clinton Cho, 2nd Prize: Mr. Wilmer Guerra and 3rd Prize: Ms. Sabrina Blanco.
SAN JOSE GOVERNMENT SCHOOL HEALTH FAIR: MAY 15, 2019
On May 15th, 2019 BVEC attended the Holistic Health Fair at San Jose government school. Primary school students from all levels came by the booth to learn about common vectors of Belize and how to protect themselves from these diseases. The Health Fair was organized by teachers of the school as well as the Peace Corp volunteer, Ms. Elizabeth Williams. It was also attended by HECOPAB, Vector Control, Public Health Inspectors, Doctors and Nurses, NDACC and other NGOs.
CHW TABLET TRAINING: APRIL 12, 2019
On April 12, 2019, BVEC held a training session with the Community Health Workers from the Orange Walk District. The purpose was to train the CHWs on how to use a form on the tablets. This initial training was much needed so that the CHWs can get used to using the tablets to input their home visits as opposed to the typical paper forms that they are currently using. The training session is in preparation for the tablets that will be handed over to the Ministry of Health of Belize through the IMPACTS project.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH WORLD TUBERCULOSIS DAY: MARCH 29, 2019
On March 29th, 2019 BVEC took part in the Ministry of Health’s World Tuberculosis Day event. BVEC assisted in giving out information about vectors and vector borne diseases to the attendees of the event along with other entities that participated. They also displayed some of their surveillance equipment to show the tools they use to gather this information.
NAZARENE HIGH SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTAL DAY: MARCH 13, 2019
On March 13th, 2019 BVEC was invited to set up a booth at Nazarene High School on Belize City. The purpose of the Environmental Day was to educate the students about environmental awareness and how they can play a role in its preservation. BVEC did an educational talk about the different vectors, vector borne diseases and preventative methods.