Ambassador Nicole D. Theriot delivered remarks at the closing ceremony for the USAID BreakThrough Action Project on October 18, 2024. The event marked seven years of collaboration between the United States and Guyana in public health initiatives.
The ambassador expressed gratitude for the partnership, highlighting support provided by the US government through Breakthrough ACTION during COVID-19 and anti-malaria efforts. "With the support of the US government, Breakthrough ACTION supported Guyana through COVID-19 and the anti-malaria campaign," she stated.
Theriot praised USAID's approach, emphasizing their grassroots engagement strategy. "We don’t come into your country and tell you how to fix things. We ask questions and listen at the grassroots level," she said.
She recounted recent achievements such as commissioning an oxygen plant in Lethem with Minister Anthony and donating similar plants to other regions. Efforts also included strengthening cold chain capacity with solar refrigerators, training healthcare workers, providing equipment, and reducing vaccine hesitancy.
The ambassador highlighted community-focused campaigns like "little mosquito – big problem" which targeted vulnerable populations. These efforts included alliances with mining organizations and distributing over 46,000 mosquito nets.
"We are all here today because we share a vision of a world free of malaria," Theriot affirmed, underscoring continued commitment from the U.S. government to combat malaria in Guyana and beyond.
Theriot recognized local volunteers as vital contributors to disease elimination goals but stressed ongoing effort is necessary: "The foundations we’ve built need continued effort, continued investment."
Countries integrating malaria services into primary care have successfully reached elimination according to Theriot. She mentioned Belize, El Salvador, Argentina, Paraguay as examples with Suriname soon following suit.
Expressing optimism for Guyana's future health resilience through U.S.-backed initiatives she concluded: "We look forward to malaria control and elimination in Guyana’s near future."
Ambassador Theriot thanked various programs including National Malaria Program and Breakthrough ACTION for their contributions.