Argentina Launches Weeks-Long Mosquito Control Effort
In an effort to eradicate the spread of massive outbreaks of dengue, zika and chikungunya in joint operations with UNICEF, the pan-American Health Organization, Argentina launched 'weeks of action against Mosquitos on Thursday in Buenos Aires.
" Malaria remains an acute public health problem in many regions. There were 214 million new cases of malaria reported in 2015, and 438,000 people have died so far." reported by UNICEF.
At an event in the Argentina capital, Buenos Aires, the local Unicef representative, Florence Bauer, the head of Pan American Health Organization in the country, and Health Minister Jorge Lemus represented the campaign ,which includes different activities to raise consciousness among the people.
The most important thing is to make awareness among the peoples so that they can take preventive measures at home. This is including emptying containers of standing water where the mosquito which carries the diseases, propagates. The minister Jorge Lemus said that " the problem arises during the southern Hemisphere's winter" when the insect begins its reproductive cycle, and at that time of the year are vital in preventing outbreaks in next summer. Last year this region had one of the worst dengue epidemics in memory.
To make this plan successful representatives of the country's northern provinces had already visited to plan a joint strategy,in the northern Missions region, where last season 50 percent of all dengue cases were registered.
The local PAHO chief after taking part in a game with children organized by the institutions focusing on prevention said" Working on obstruction with the children is key, so we're supporting that kind of activity the most effective and important for being able to prevent mosquito's reproduction"
The Unicef representative and the head of PAHO both agreed on the importance of prevention at home and on working with children to make them aware of the danger of leaving containers of resting water around.
This kind of activity is part of a social campaign against the mosquito's breeding that is also being executed by other institutions in Costa Rica Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Colombia, Panama, Cuba, EI Salvador and Honduras.
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