WORLD MOSQUITO DAY: PECAN, Rotary Club fumigate drains, organise awareness against mosquitoes

The Pest Control Association of Nigeria (PECAN) in partnership with Rotary Club, has fumigated the ever big drainage system at Owoseni Street, Ikate area in Surulere, Lagos State against mosquitoes, to improve hygiene and good living of the residents.

The exercise was to mark the World Mosquito Day in a unique way, with the theme: “No Mosquito, No Malaria” and to sensitise and create more awareness on the dangers of Malaria and the importance of clean environment, to avoid mosquitoes in the community.

Speaking at the exercise, PECAN National President, Mr Kunle Williams, said the event was unique in the sense that the association partnered with other organisations to tackle the menace of mosquitoes causing malaria in the community.

“This year 2022 World Mosquito Day is unique, in the sense that the association partnered with the highest regulatory body in the area of environmental health and the Internationally recognised humanitarian body, Rotary Club, to support the residents of this area.

“This will be the second time PECAN would partner with the Rotary Club of Gbagada; the first time was on the April 25, 2019 during the World Malaria Day when we collaborated to perform the social responsibility.

“PECAN is a professional body saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that our homes, workplaces, schools, shopping and recreational centres, are safe and hygienic for healthy living through the proper fumigation,” he said.

He said the question many people might be asking was why the celebration of World Mosquito Day? He noted that the day was introduced as a mark of honour to the 1897 scientific discovery of a British Doctor by the name Sir Ronald Ross, saying Ross succeeded in revealing to the whole world that the female Anopheles mosquito was the cause of Malaria.

The PECAN President added that the discovery laid the foundation for scientists across the world to better understand the deadly role of mosquitoes in disease transmission and come up with effective innovative interventions.

“Every August 20 has been set aside internationally to create awareness of human deaths being caused by mosquitoes worldwide and to allow the world to explore how the deaths can be eliminated or abated,” he said.

Williams, however, urged Nigerians to give preventive measures rather than curative measures which were parts of methods of tackling the menace of Malaria in the past years.

The President, District 9011 of Rotary Club Gbagada, Mr Alozie Nsirimobi reiterated the group’s commitment to support activities that would continue improving the living of the masses.

Nsirimobi said cleaning environment, disease prevention and treatment were among the major focus of the Rotary Club, urging Lagos residents to always consider the cleanliness of their environment.

Representative of Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA, Scientific Officer, Mrs Bosede Natufe, said Lagos would have been so clean if the residents stopped the illegal dumpling of refuse either in the drainages or streets.

Natufe commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State for his passion in ensuring cleaner Lagos.