Cuban mosquito control programme effective

Accra, Jan. 26, GNA - Malaria and mosquito bites have reduced in La, Accra following the introduction of a pilot project that involved spraying of two products from Cuba to fight mosquitoes. The products, Bactivec and Griselesf, were tested at La and other areas in Accra in October 2004 with the ultimate objective to reduce the frequency of mosquito bites in tourism sites.

Mrs Rejoice Kemevor, Senior Technical Officer at the Records Department at the La General Hospital giving statistics to a GNA monitoring team on the Project said the total of malaria cases for year 2004, which is 23,043, is far lower than year 2002 and year 2003 which were 34,996 and 29,614, respectively.

She stressed the need to put in place good drainage systems to ensure a clean environment.

Mrs Kemevor called for intense educational programme on malaria as it was being done for HIV/AIDS.

Mr Andrew Wilson, Manager of the Labadi Beach Hotel, said the first phase of the Mosquito Control Programme that started in October was very effective.

He said: "Customers no longer complain about mosquitoes biting them."

Mr Wilson said the product being biodegradable had no adverse effect on health and the environment and called for the continuity and extension of the Programme.

Mrs Cassandra Von Backustein, Assistant Human Resource Manager the Ghana Trade Fair Company, confirmed that the product as very effective when it was sprayed at the Trade Fair Site.

She said: "It contributed to the success of the December Fair. For the first time the participants did not complain about mosquito bites at night.

"I used to have mosquito bites when I came to the office but when the spraying was done it stopped," Mrs Von Backustein said. She, however, said after three months the mosquitoes had started coming and urged that the spraying be done again.

The story was the same when the GNA spoke to a security man at the Trade Fair. He said the spraying at the La Community was effective. The man who is also a resident of La, however, said the effect of the spraying was dying down.

The products, introduced by the Ministries of Tourism and Modernization of the Capital City and Science and Environment, have been determined as not harmful and poisonous and could be in the environment, especially water bodies and other mosquito breeding grounds.

Bactivec and Griselesf act on the mosquito larvae preventing them from growing into full mosquitoes and it is active in the environment for seven to 60 days. 26 Jan. 05