The Vector Control Unit in the Environmental Health Division is visiting schools this week as part of Mosquito Awareness activities.

Deputy Chief Environmental Health Officer Ms. Henrietta Alexander said officers from the division will be doing a hunt in the schools to teach the children how to search out and destroy mosquito breeding sites.

Ms. Alexander said, “The aedes mosquito is responsible for diseases like, Zika, Dengue Fever and Chikungunya. While our message of reducing mosquito breeding and protecting self from mosquito bites remains the same, we felt it was important to employ the children as messengers as we continue our mission to fight the bite.”

The Deputy Chief Environmental Health Officer added that the children will learn how to conduct surveillance activities by searching for potential mosquito breeding receptacles. She said other key lessons will include ensuring containers that are not being used are placed in the face down position, garbage is disposed of on a regular basis, drains are checked and cleared where water can settle and containers are scrubbed at the waterline to destroy mosquito eggs.

The students will also learn about the parts of the mosquito and will be able to examine the insects under microscopes at various stages in its life cycle.

Activities will continue during the week including an Expo on reducing mosquito breeding and other vector control mechanisms by the Red Cross Emergency Preparedness at the Noel Lloyd Park on May 12. The community is encouraged to attend this session.

Mosquito Awareness week is being observed from May 8 to 12 under the theme, ‘Small Bite Big Threat’, and the community is being urged to prevent and protect themselves from mosquito bites.

The Ministry of Health and Social Development is committed to ensuring that all aspects of the environment with the potential to negatively impact the health of the population are managed efficiently to enable all persons in the BVI to attain and maintain optimal health and well-being.