Maravi

Mosquito control in Lusaka to cost over K769m

Mosquito control in Lusaka to cost over K769m
Written by Agness Changala
Thursday, October 08, 2009 5:00:46 PM

THE Ministry of Health has said the estimated cost of short-term mosquito control in Lusaka will slightly be over K769 million. This plan to control mosquitoes, which have ravaged most parts of Lusaka, will be implemented from October to December this year.

The money is expected to be spent on procuring equipment, protective clothing and allowances for casual workers and supervisors who will be tasked to wipe out the mosquitoes.

Some of the items to be procured include 250 gumboots, 500 overalls, 250 helmets, 750 gloves, 500 stockings and the equipment include 250 wheel barrows, 500 slashers 250 shovels and 499 garden forks.

The district will provide labour costs for 50 casual workers, vehicles while fuel for transportation of the workers and supervisors will be provided by Lusaka City Council (LCC).

About 1,000 litres of larvicides has already been procured for the exercise.

Ministry of Health director of public health Dr Victor Mukonka challenged residents to develop a sense of responsibility by throwing garbage in designated places.

Dr Mukonka observed that it was increasingly becoming problematic for people to throw garbage anyhow and later expect the government to clear it off.

“This is not fair and right now, they are the same people being bitten by those mosquitoes which they have provided with breeding places because of throwing garbage anyhow,” he said.

Dr Mukonka called on various companies to come to the ministry’s aid by providing resources needed to carry out the exercise.

Meanwhile, Health Services and Systems Programme (HSSP) entomologist/parasitologist Dr Cecilia Shinondo said the issue of mosquitoes should be taken seriously because people had complained about painful and sleep depriving mosquito bites.

She said the sustained high nuisance levels by culicine mosquitoes which were identified in the area, undermined the Indoor Residue Spray programme and that the public could not distinguish anopheles from culicine mosquitoes.

The nuisance mosquitoes have threatened restaurants, guesthouses and property owners in Garden compound with the loss of business.

Dr Shinondo said there had been no research on possible disease vectoring by culicine as non-malaria fevers often went uninvestigated.

Labels: LCC, MALARIA

posted by MrK @ 4:02 PM