News in today’s paper that one out of every four houses inspected in Ebenezer had mosquito larvae is quite disappointing. After all, efforts to create awareness on the need to eliminate breeding places have been ongoing for a long time.
Moreover, a similar result was reported last week in St. Peters. Although 93 per cent of the homeowners surveyed there were conscious of the role standing water plays in this regard, only 10 per cent thought the blood-sucking insects could breed on their property – yet 46 per cent saw that happening elsewhere.
In Ebenezer 34 per cent considered drainage, fogging and other chemical methods the best way to control the mosquito population, while 56 per cent agreed disease prevention was an important reason to do so. Of course, the latter has become pretty obvious from the spread in this region of dengue, chikungunya, Zika and most recently the mayaro virus.
The impression exists that, despite people seeming to know about the issue, too few appear willing to do something about it in their own immediate surroundings. Perhaps some don’t completely understand the health risk involved, but by now one would practically need to have lived under a rock during the past months not to be informed.
It’s high time this matter is taken seriously by the entire community and not dismissed as everybody else’s problem. To better the world, start with yourself.
