Kenicia Francis
The Central Board of Health (CBH) joined the other Caribbean islands in the celebration of Mosquito Awareness Week 2024.
This year’s theme has been ‘Small Bite Big Threat’, and the slogan is ‘Stop Disease Transmission, Start Source Reduction’.
According to a post made by CBH on Facebook, “The initiative for this year is to empower communities to identify and eliminate mosquito breeding sites from public and private spaces.”
“To do so, the staff at the Central Board of Health created a typical yard in the parking lot at the Vector Control Unit. The yard comprises of a structure resembling a house, with one side of the yard displaying numerous water catchments that are exposed and can become mosquito breeding sites, and the other side of the yard portraying corrective measures to eliminate mosquito breeding sites,” the post explained.
Various schools across the island have visited the yard.
Apparently, students and teachers had the opportunity to learn about the different mosquito habitats, and ways to eliminate them.
The post shared its hope that, “The children will share what they have learned with their parents, and that would help them to eliminate mosquito breeding sites at their respective homes on a continuous basis, which will in turn reduce the mosquito population.”
It also thanked its sponsors for their various contributions and donations.
In separate posts, also on Facebook, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) shared tips, and challenges, and promoted solutions on how to combat the widespread threat of mosquito-borne diseases, as in the past year, the Caribbean faced challenges with numerous dengue outbreaks in several CARPHA member States.
The first tip said that one should keep gutters and drains clean and clear to prevent water accumulation, because clogged drains can quickly become mosquito breeding grounds.
Tip number two said that one should always empty wading pools and store them in covered, dry areas.
The third tip shared that one should always ensure that water storage containers like barrels and tanks are securely covered.
The fourth suggestion said that one should cover or empty containers such as buckets, flowerpots, and bird baths as mosquitoes can lay eggs in just a teaspoon of water.
The last tip posted as of press time for this issue of the newspaper suggested that folks should work with their neighbours to reduce mosquito breeding sites, because community-wide efforts are crucial to limiting mosquito populations.
