The Red Sea state's health ministry has embarked on a large-scale campaign to control disease-carrying insects, with financial backing from the state's finance ministry. This effort aims to curb the spread of malaria and dengue fever, reduce insect density, and enhance preventive measures in targeted areas. The campaign kicked off on Sunday evening in the city of Gedaref.
According to Dr. Ahmed Al-Amin Adam, Acting General Director of the Red Sea state's health ministry, the campaign is part of the ministry's plan to combat malaria and dengue fever. He emphasized the importance of collaboration between concerned parties and the community to ensure the campaign's objectives are met. Dr. Adam also praised the efforts of the state government, led by the Acting Governor, and acknowledged the finance ministry's commitment to providing necessary funding.
The campaign focuses on six main areas, including household inspections by community health workers to educate residents on eliminating larvae and preventing mosquito breeding within homes. It also involves combating flying insects using backpack-mounted pumps and vehicle-mounted sprayers, as well as deploying drones for spraying. Furthermore, the campaign seeks to promote health through public awareness messages.
Muhammad Abaker Dawood, Director of the General Administration for Environmental Health in the state, revealed that the campaign involves 12 spraying vehicles and over 200 community health workers. He urged residents to cooperate with campaign teams, adhere to health guidelines, and follow instructions from community health workers.
The campaign, which will run for a month, targets areas with high malaria and dengue fever infection rates, starting with Gedaref municipality and extending to other regions. The finance ministry is providing funding for the campaign, including operational costs and insecticides, while the federal health ministry is supporting the effort with ten vehicles equipped with spraying pumps.
Dr. Adam and Dawood stressed the significance of community participation in the campaign's success. They called on residents to take responsibility for maintaining a clean environment, using insecticide-treated bed nets, and following health guidelines during spraying operations.
The campaign's impact will be evaluated based on its ability to reduce disease-carrying insect populations and subsequently lower malaria and dengue fever cases in the targeted areas. The health ministry's efforts are expected to contribute to a decline in infection rates and an improvement in public health within the state.
Key points
- The campaign aims to reduce the spread of malaria and dengue fever in the Red Sea state.
- The effort involves a multi-faceted approach, including household inspections and insect spraying.
- The campaign is a collaborative effort between the state health ministry, finance ministry, and federal health ministry.
