Health dep't urges residents to keep environs clean

LUCEA, Hanover:Medical Officer of Health for Hanover, Dr Marcia Johnson-Campbell, has appealed to residents across the parish to keep their environments free of containers and other items which could facilitate the breeding of the aedes aegypti mosquito, which causes dengue fever.

"The Hanover Health Department is appealing to the citizens to ensure that their environs are kept clear of containers such as flower pots, old tyres, and the like, which cause water to be collected ," she said.

"The aedes aegypti mosquito is a domesticated mosquito that is found in the home, and containers around the house must be cleared up. Athough there has been a reduction in the aedes index from 24 per cent to an average of 21 per cent, there continue to be concerns about the communities of Mt Peto, Dias, Kingsvale, Cacoon, Cascade, Woodsville, and Lucea east," she added.

Johnson-Campbell said targeted interventions would be conducted in the communities mentioned in July. The first phase will address the Mt Peto, Dias, and Kingsvale areas. The challenge with these areas, she said, was that of stored water, which provides a breeding environment for mosquitoes. Areas that have cases of dengue will also be addressed in addition to those already slated for a targeted intervention.

She said the Hanover Health Department would continue to carry out its vector control programme to reduce mosquito breeding, with the usual oiling and fogging. The recent onset of rains in the parish has hampered these activities somewhat.

- Christopher Bodden