By Shannon Gwamna
Environmental Health Council of Nigeria( EHCON) in collaboration with Pest Control Association of Nigeria( PECAN) has donated malaria control kits to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at kuchingoro in the Federal TerritoryCaptial (FCT) Abuja .
They stated this yesterday at the Kuchingoro IDP Camp saying that the visit was as part of their activities to commemorate 2023 World mosquito day, with the theme “Say No to Mosquito, No Malaria”.
While Distributing the malaria kits, the Registrar, EHCON, Dr. Yakubu Baba said “Mosquitoes eradication is the responsibility of the Federal ministry of environment and the ministry is not relenting in fighting malaria disease .
He said all hands must be put on deck to fight malaria and mosquito out of Nigeria .
“We are an agency under the ministry of environment , we have special disease vector unit which has a free control program working to ensure that mosquitos among other parasite are not making Nigerian unhealthy as a result of their feeding habits and habitation”.
Baba who was represented by Senior Technical Assistant to the Registrar & Director, Dept of Registration, Ethics and Standards, Isah Adamu noted that”It is very important to understanding that when we are fighting malaria in Nigeria, we concentrate on the vector”.
He said over the years, we have not been paying attention on the vector by directly interfering with the habitat way of life. “It essential that we pay attention to malaria and also other infections associated with it . “
Speaking also, the National President PECA, Kunle William, said 20th of august every year is a day set aside to commemorate the world mosquito day, we decide to have a road march from Berger to Area one in order to sensitize the public on the need to change their attitude towards their environment by cleaning all the necessary areas in their surroundings, with that mosquitoes can’t find a breeding place .
According to William, mosquito has done a lot of harm to the world, as the most dangerous animal in the world because of the number of people it has killed.
“We have joined the world today to commemorate,sensitizing and informing the public about the dangers of allowing mosquitoes to festers
within their environment.
He said.”We are in the IDP camp to help them control the mosquitoes around their environment and also let them know that there are ways to prevent mosquitoes from breeding on their own”.
He added that government are looking into partnership with private sectors on the need to eradicate malaria .
He further explained that “There are areas of innovation that has not been really put into place such as spraying and developing vaccines and all this measures will reduce the scourge.
“Our social responsibility, every year is it choose a community to create awareness and also disinfect the control of mosquitoes.
Meanwhile, National Vice President of PECAN and also chairman of PECAN FCT chapter, Terungwa Abari said August 20th every year is commemorated as world mosquito day to sensitize people on how they can prevent the transmission of malaria in their environment.
“We are in the idp camp to carry out the mosquito control exercise and give them some pesticide to take ca re of the mosquitoes. We can say we have done enough, we have to continuously create awareness as long as the disease keeps on killing people, we have to continue sustaining the awareness. “
Abari stated that
“Most people are not are unaware of the cause of malaria attack .
“ Alot of attention has been given to the issue of malaria, and from the pest control service, we are aware that what cause malaria is the mosquitoes. We are pattering with public agencies to make sure we go to the root of the cause of the spread.
“PECAN has always create awareness against the illegal use of pesticides and the way people treat their environment. A lot of attention needs to be put in the environmental management control to stop the bridging of mosquitoes so that we can minimize the incidence of malaria scourge”, he said .