Waste management giants, Zoomlion Ghana Limited has in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Services and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research trained over 130 health and environmental health professionals in the Central region to embark on a mass mosquito larvae spraying exercise.
The mass mosquito larvae spraying exercise is to substantially reduce mosquito breeding in the region in line with the decision by Ghanaian authorities to use the approach of larviciding to eradicate the malaria vectors at the larvae stage to curb their growth and multiplication.
A Senior Entomologist at the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research, Dr. Samuel Dadzie underscored the importance of larviciding in Ghana’s fight against mosquito breeding to help eliminate malaria.
He said under the program key players in the sector such as Zoomlion District/Municipal Managers, District/ Municipal Environmental Health Officers, District/Municipal Malaria Focal Persons, NAMCOP Spraying Gang Leaders and Community Sprayers are being trained on scientific methods to control the breeding of mosquitos across the nation.
Dr. Dadzie was optimistic that the caliber of persons being trained under the program will go a long way to attaining the program’s goal of controlling of mosquito breeding at the community level.
Social and Behaviour Change Communications Specialist of the National Malaria Control Program of the Ghana Health Service Mr. Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey advised participants to consider channeling their sensitization efforts through key players in the community such as traditional, religious, and opinions leaders if they want to get effectively communicate to the populace.
He also urged the participants to seriously take into consideration the demography of their communities in developing and communicating their messages if they wanted the messages to go down effectively.
Director of Scientific Operations of the Pan-African Mosquito Control Association (PAMCA) Dr. Silas Majambere who is lead consultant of the programme said larviciding is now globally recognized as one of the most effective malaria control interventions towards reducing mosquito breeding especially in Africa.
He took participants through the process of mapping among others.
In an interview, some participants said the rigorous nature of the training would go a long way to ensuring that they effectively do their jobs as well as pass on the message to the average Ghanaian and positively impact Ghana’s efforts towards reducing the spread of mosquitoes.
Story: Sena Nombo/Radiogoldlive.com
