By admin
The World Health Organization has advised Honiara residents and other urban centers in the country to take steps to protect their families from dengue fever.
Officer-in-Charge of the Solomon Islands WHO Office Audrey Aumua says many survivors of the recent floods are in evacuation centres and live in populated conditions, often in very open and basic living areas.
Miss Aumua adds the high levels of rainfall could potentially increase the dengue mosquito numbers and result in disease outbreaks.
638 cases of dengue were diagnosed in Solomon Islands from January to April 11 this year – of which, 106 cases were reported this week.
The World Health Organisation says the sooner that people act to help reduce mosquito breeding areas in their yard, and protect themselves from mosquito bites, the better they can help prevent the spread of dengue.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization is working with National and Provincial Health Authorities to provide ongoing mosquito control operations around the city and the plains via vector control teams.
These agencies are currently undertaking ultra-low volume ‘fogging’ operations, targeting the adult dengue mosquitos at their peak biting time.
Teams of vector control workers are visiting all areas of Honiara and applying an insecticidal ‘fog’ using a large vehicle mounted fogger that can treat one and a half hectares a minute.
These control operations are being conducted between 5pm and 7pm, which is the peak activity time for the dengue mosquito.
The fog is not harmful to humans, but will knockdown any adult mosquitoes in the area.
Eight of the larger evacuation centres in Honiara have had interior and exterior residual treatments of insecticide to protect against malaria and dengue vectors.
Additionally, more than 4-thousand and 3-hundred long-lasting insecticide-treated nets were distributed to flood victims at evacuation centers in Honiara and Guadalcanal Province.
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