Up to February 8, some 2,400 Guyanese still live in 27 shelters in the affected areas. The shelters are set up in schools or community centers.

PAHO listens to the specific needs of the people in the shelter and makes sure this information goes back to the Civil Defense Commission who is responsible for the coordination of all relief.

Dr. Luis Valdes informs the management of the Cove & John shelter on the instructions for the prophylactic treatment against leptospirosis.

PAHO keeps track of any illnesses in the shelter. Dr. Luis Valdes provides basic medical advice. More serious cases he refers to the hospital. If it is urgent, PAHO requests Ministry of Health to pick people up from the shelter with an ambulance.

For the children in the shelter, every visitor is a welcome distraction.

All management in the shelters is keen on hygiene. Feet are disinfected before people get in and children are being taught to wash their hands properly before and after eating.

Medical teams monitor disease surveillance systems and provide health education.

Daily food packages are distributed to the shelters. PAHO assesses if every shelter received their packages.

As many schools are being used as shelters, children are not able to go to schools these days.

The mobile medical teams that visit the shelters on a regular basis supply information, prophylaxis against leptospirosis and other basic medications. More serious cases are referred to hospital.

Dr. Luis Valdes goes through his questions with the manager of the Mon Repos shelter.

...and yet there is solidarity with people who are in even worse situations (poster in Annandale shelter).