• On World Mosquito Day,
IMA encourages people to indicate that their premises are free of mosquitoes
• This is only possible if
there is community participation in the efforts made by the government
New Delhi, 19
August 2017: Statistics indicate that mosquito-borne diseases
are prevalent in more than 100 countries. Mosquitoes infect about 300 to 500
million people, causing 1 million deaths every year around the world. More than
40 million people suffer from mosquito-borne diseases annually in India alone.
According to
the IMA, on World Mosquito Day, the need of the hour is to take collective
action to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes, both on a larger scale and at an
individual level.
Malaria,
filaria and dengue are the most prevalent diseases spread by mosquitoes in
India with over 2 million cases of malaria alone reported in the country. The
mosquito that transmits dengue fever and chikungunya is also responsible for
spreading Zika. All these diseases result in high fever and excruciating joint
pains, which have been a common occurrence in the country over the last two
decades.
Speaking
about this, Padma Shri Awardee Dr K K Aggarwal, National President Indian Medical
Association (IMA) and President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and Dr RN
Tandon – Honorary Secretary General IMA in a joint statement, said, “Failure to control the
mosquito menace is a collective failure and therefore, the mosquitoes
transmitting diseases are still at large around the country. The Municipal
Corporation, Delhi Government, Central Government, LG office, Medical Associations,
CSR departments, Media, NGOs, Private sector, and individuals must act together
to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. A mosquito container index above 5%
requires a community-integrated cluster approach to reduce mosquito density
together with effective anti-larval measures. On World Mosquito Day, it is time
to remind ourselves that we need to act against all the mosquitoes, be it
Aedes, Culex, or Anopheles. Action against only the Aedes mosquito will not
work.”
Rain water is the most
important source for mosquito breeding and can collect in any plastic container
inside or outside the house. Even collected garbage in open areas can have left
over plastic cups or tiny bottle caps with rain water collections providing an
ideal atmosphere for mosquito breeding.
Adding further, Dr
Aggarwal, said, “A community approach that involves 100% of the society
needs to be adopted. Every house and establishment must indicate that their
premises are mosquito-free. When you are invited to somebody’s place, you
should ask ‘I hope your premises are mosquito-free’ and when you invite
somebody, write ‘Welcome to my house. It is mosquito-free’.”
IMA’s approach is a war
against indoor or outdoor mosquitoes; fresh stagnant or dirty water mosquitoes;
small containers like bottle caps or large containers like overhead tankers;
made of mud or plastic; throughout the day (early morning fogging when pupa
hatch for Aedes, late night for malaria); scrubbing clean the utensils. One
should not clean their premises once a week. Rather, it should become a habit
to look for the breeding places daily. Here are some tips to follow.
- Avoid stagnation of water in and around the house to
prevent mosquitoes from breeding.
- Cover all containers that have water stored in them.
- Use mosquito screens, nets, meshes and insect repellent screens
regularly.
- Do not venture out immediately after dusk. If you need to go out, make
sure to wear full-sleeved clothing and apply a mosquito repellent cream.
- If you are affected by any of these diseases, ensure that you are
hydrated and well rested.
- Follow the doctor’s advice completely and do not compromise on any
checkups, etc.
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