The ‘Kudakudhinge Bageecha’ childrens’ park has reopened today, after the government eased the swine flu alert level.
The park has been closed down since 25 November after the health ministry raised the swine flu alert level from three to four.
The park is run by the Maldivian National Defense Force (MNDF) and is open everyday from 4 to 6 pm.
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(0)The ministry of health has announced it has raised the H1N1 swine flu alert level from four to six.
Despite the counterintuitive increase, alert level six is when the danger of the disease goes down and the risk of it spreading also decreases.
Dr Ibrahim Yasir, director general of health services, said “The disease has not spread in the way we predicted it might. We expected the disease to spread [more] with the start of the academic year and people returning from abroad.”
He said the spread of the disease had been controlled by the hard work of people in the health sector, “the priority given to the pandemic by the government and the awareness of the public.
“Since we didn’t see an increase in the spread of the disease we decided it didn’t warrant a level five alert status,” he said.
The ministry announced that with the level six status many, of the H1N1 precautions would be lifted.
Dr Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed from the Centre of Disease Control said “Our warnings about not to gather in public places have been lifted, and places like KudaKudhinge Bageecha (children’s park) can now be opened.
“Our swine flu clinic is closing as hardly anyone who goes there any more, and the 24-hour hotline is also being closed.”
Jamsheed said lifting the precautions “does not mean we have to stop being vigilant. There is still a possibility that the disease could spread.”
Next step
The ministry announced that it would now divert its resources towards preparing for the next outbreak.
“We have 120,000 people who have been classified as a prioirty group to receive swine flu vaccines,” Dr Yasir said.
According to the ministry, vaccine doses promised to the Maldives so far include 20,000 from Saudi Arabia, 30,000 from the World Health Organisation (WHO), 15,000 from China, 1500 from Singapore and 50,000 from the government’s own budget.
“The Chinese doses have not been approved by the WHO yet so we are keeping that on hold for the moment,” Jamsheed noted.
(0)Dislikes(0)The health ministry has called on people to be vigilant about swine flu.
Since July, 32 cases have been reported in the Maldives and one death. According to Miadhu, the ministry has said that even though the spread of the disease has slowed, people should still be cautious.
The ministry again emphasised the importance of controlling the spread once schools had opened, urging parents to keep children at home until fully recovered.
(0)Dislikes(0)Health Ministry officials have warned of an increase in the spread of swine flu in the coming months.
Director General of Health Services Dr Ibrahim Yasir said there would be more opportunities for the spread of the disease with many people returning to the Maldives after the school holidays.
Dr Ahmed Jamsheed from the Centre of Community Health and Disease Control said it was important to keep children away from school if they had flu symptoms.
The Health Ministry also said plans were being made to further increase awareness about the disease.
(0)Dislikes(0)The number of swine flu cases in the Maldives has climbed to 32 after seven more people, including a pilgrim returning from Hajj, tested positive yesterday.
The 27-year-old man was the first Hajj pilgrim to test positive for swine flu.
This establishes infection in Haa Alif Baarah, Hoarafushi, Thuraakunu, Dhaal Rinbidhoo, Faaf Nilandhoo and a resort island being developed in Thaa atoll, according to the health ministry.
The virus has now been detected in all regions of the country apart from seven atolls. With nine cases reported, the Male’ region has the highest incidence of swine flu, followed by five in Raa atoll, and two each from Shaviyani, Noonu, Meemu and Dhaal atolls.
Baa, Lhaviyani, Alif Alif, Vaavu, Faafu, Thaa and Gnaviyani atolls have one confirmed case each.
The number of Influenza A cases in the country currently stands at 65.
The swine flu alert is currently at level four with infection being transmitted within the general community but limited to some islands, atoll or province, the health ministry said.
Under level four, the ministry advises travelers to take precautionary measures and defer “non-essential travel, especially for those who are at higher risk of severe illness and when onward travel may result in quarantine”.
A 65-year-old man from Raa atoll Inguraidhoo who died on 18 November became the first casualty of swine flu in the Maldives.
He was the first victim not to have traveled abroad. In a statement to parliament, Health Minister Dr Aiminath Jameel said the victim was believed to have contracted the virus on a visit to Male’ to see off pilgrims to Mecca.
Prior to his death, the six people infected with the virus had traveled abroad and were released after treatment.
The number of deaths from swine flu worldwide has risen to 9,596 deaths in over 200 countries.
(0)Dislikes(0)The Maldives may have difficulty acquiring a vaccine believed to be effective against the H1N1 virus, despite it being produced nearby.
“There are a limited number of companies producing the vaccine, and global vaccine production is pretty low. There’s not enough to meet demand,” said Dr Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed from the Centre for Community Health and Disease (CCHD).
“Neighbouring countries are producing the vaccine, but it is going to the West,” he claimed. “That’s part of a global issue that existed before swine flu, but it means there a difference between who needs and who gets the vaccine.”
The Maldives has developed a vaccine deployment plan, prioritising healthcare staff, however, nobody has yet been immunised.
There is no indication that wearing a surgical mask, now a common sight around the capital Male’, could protect people from flu infections, he said.
“If worn properly the masks can prevent transmission by people who are symptomatic because it eliminates the droplets,” he said.
“But when you walk around Male’ you see people wearing them like fashion statements, on their chin or forehead – this has no effect at all and probably adds to the problem.”
Temporary flu clinic opens
In response to a rising number of flu patients at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), the government has established a temporary hospital in Nasandhura Palace Hotel.
Jamsheed said the clinic was intended to relieve the pressure on IGMH staff with the onset of the flu season.
The clinic will provide anti-viral drug Tamiflu to patients who test positive to Influenza A, he said. Tamiflu is used to treat the virus but the drug is not an effective preventative.
“If we are suspicious that it could be the H1N1 (swine flu) virus we will start the patient on Tamiflu without delay,” Jamsheed said, adding that the country’s current stockpile of 2,500 adult doses “is sufficient”.
Thirty-four patients have tested positive for Influenza A so far, according to the ministry of health and family.
Of those patients 12 tested positive for the H1N1 ‘swine flu’ virus. One of them, a 65 year-old man from Raa Atoll, became the first Maldivian to die from the disease on 19 November.
The remaining 11 were treated and have since been released, Jamsheed said.
The World Health Organisation reports that over 1,000 people are now dying a week from the virus.
However Jamsheed noted that “the mortality rate of swine flu and seasonal flu is pretty much the same, although it depends on the country and things like socioeconomic factors.”
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