AMID THE coronavirus pandemic, the Iloilo City government is strengthening its campaign against dengue, tapping community esprit de corps. Good call for volunteerism. While COVID-19 is hogging the headlines, let’s not forget the perennial scourge that is dengue.
Each one has a role to play in mitigating a surge in dengue cases by cleaning up one’s surroundings, and especially targeting the breeding grounds of dengue-causing mosquitoes. Yes, “source elimination” is an excellent strategy to combat dengue and this can be bolstered by consistent cleanup – in every household in every neighborhood, in every barangay. The mosquito vectors of dengue live and breed in clean, stagnant water. Eliminate this and there would be no dengue mosquitoes.
On the other hand, local government units must be warned against chemical fogging and spraying operations to eradicate dengue mosquitoes. The safety aspects of this strategy must be thoroughly studied. We’ve been seeing well-meaning government personnel conducting fogging and spraying activities that have been proven ineffective in stopping the reproductive lifecycle of dengue mosquitoes. In fact, the Department of Health discourages indiscriminate fogging and only recommends it when there is an impending outbreak in potential hotspots as evaluated by health officers.
For the safety of sanitation workers and the community members at large, we urge the authorities to disseminate safety guidelines on the fogging and spraying of chemicals into the surroundings, giving due emphasis to essential precautions and safe alternatives.
In addition to being the least effective measure versus the dengue bane, we are also concerned over the potential harm that chemical fogging and spraying can cause to people, especially to young children and the elderly in densely populated places.
What can citizens do? Properly managing common household and personal trash cannot be overemphasized. Discarded glass and plastic bottles, tin cans, coconut shells, plastic bags, polystyrene containers, snack packs and sachets should not be simply thrown anywhere as these items can gather and hold water and turn into ugly breeding sites for mosquitoes.
The public should also pay attention to how recyclables are stored, ensuring that they are kept dry and clean so as not to attract mosquitoes, as well as roaches and rodents.
In other words, ecological solid waste management is a practical strategy to address the dengue scourge.
