EDITORIAL: Safeguard against mosquito-borne diseases

IN addition to COVID-19, local residents and now visitors to the island too, are reminded to take precautions against the airborne vector, the mosquito, to safeguard their health and avoid serious complications from additional viruses. This is especially true as we are expecting some rain in the coming days with the approach of a tropical weather system, and debris which may have been problematic for its unsightly nature alone could very well facilitate an additional danger by being a breeding ground for this vector.

The current sunny weather being experienced on the island up to yesterday may lull many into being complacent, however there are still many places that are breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which are not being considered. That is why the Ministry of Health, through the Government Information Service, continues to educate on televised public service announcements about steps to take to avoid being bitten by the dreaded aedes aegypti mosquito, in addition to undertaking an eradication programme through fogging in communities.

Also, with the 2020 Hurricane Season fully under way, people should expect increasingly wet weather in Barbados and this would unfortunately mean more sightings of mosquitoes. Therefore, Barbadians are encouraged to check their surroundings and ensure that there are no areas where water can settle and no containers which could inadvertently capture water, like discarded bottles and used tyres, or water storage tanks and plant saucers. Homeowners should also seek to debush areas surrounding their homes.

In the past, we have highlighted the consequences of littering and illegal dumping, which include unsightly pile-ups, rodent infestation, and problems with flooding due to blocked drains. Unfortunately, despite clean-up efforts by various state departments and non-profit organisations, which have yielded tonnes of garbage from highways, by-ways, gullies and beaches all across the island, the problem persists to this day.

This paper has also repeatedly called for investigations into homeowners’ premises and urged that they be made more culpable for their bad practices. It is important that we continue to hammer home the message of maintaining clean surroundings and emphasise the role that every individual living in this country can play in this regard.

Overall though, Barbadians need to do away with the lackadaisical attitude, whereby they refuse to look to help themselves. This mentality has led to the misguided belief that, whether they are capable of doing so or not, it is Government’s duty to fog neighbourhoods and clean up environs which could be potential breeding grounds. While the Ministry of Health has been given a mandate to keep our environs clean, every person must still do what they can as well, for it impacts us all. So everyone must be willing to step up, and at the very least, keep their own property and communities clean. There is no glass bubble. If you are doing the right thing and your neighbour is not, then you are still at risk. Therefore, you have to become your brother’s keeper and either approach them yourself or highlight the situation to the relevant authorities when they come by.

This year, it is hoped that reported cases of mosquito-borne viruses are vastly reduced and good examples set for future generations.