A PEST control company has joined government health workers in pushing for greater awareness on the dangers of mosquito-borne diseases.
Mapecon-Cagayan de Oro, together with City Health representatives, gave residents pointers on how to control the spread of by mosquitoes through a forum Wednesday, October 19 at the Carmen Barangay Hall.
The anti-dengue and anti-Zika awareness caravan was especially useful for Barangay Carmen residents as the village reported a total of 213 cases of dengue for the first three quarters of 2016.
With the onset of the rainy season, health authorities expect the number of dengue cases to increase for the last three months of the year.
With this, Mapecon decided to conduct their Anti-Dengue and Zika Awareness Caravan at Barangay Carmen to equip the residents with measures to completely eradicate Dengue mosquitoes within their area.
In addition to this, they also hope to give out information on the Zika virus although no report of the said virus has been reported in the city so far.
This caravan is part of Mapecon’s Nationwide Anti-Dengue and Zika Awareness advocacy caravan.
Jenny Ozarraga, Mapecon-Cagayan de Oro branch manager, said they have actually conducted this caravan last year in other zones of the said village and said she hopes that this practice of educating the citizens about dengue and the Zika virus will be done yearly.
But Ozarraga called on more private and public organizations in the community to implement more activities that will bring about the eradication of Dengue mosquitoes in the community.
Their caravan, she said, will not only include symposia on the nature of dengue and Zika-carrying mosquitoes but will also do a free chemical spraying in possible breeding sites of the mosquitoes in the village.
Councilor Cyril Ranile of the Barangay Carmen Council said they are very thankful for the support of Mapecon in their village's anti-mosquito campaign.
A total of 150 residents were able to participate in Wednesday’s caravan and he said this symposium will go a long way to lessen the incidences of the Dengue cases in their village.
"We cannot really deny that Barangay Carmen is the highest when it come as to the rate of the Dengue virus cases here in CDO. With MAPECON, choosing us to be their beneficiary in their anti-Dengue caravan and Zika awareness drive is a big thing to make the citizens aware and ready, especially for the rainy season," Ranile said.