The Pest Control Association of Nigeria (PECAN) in collaboration with the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON) Sunday distributed malaria-control pesticides to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at the Kuchingoro IDP camp in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Speaking during the exercise, the National President of PECAN, Olakunle Williams, said the distribution of malaria pesticides was part of activities to commemorate the 2023 World Mosquito Day.
He said the 20th of August every year is set aside to commemorate World Mosquito Day, adding that the organisation conducted a road walk to sensitise the public on the need to keep their surroundings clean and free of any mosquito-breeding place.
He said, “We have joined the world today to commemorate, sensitise and inform the public about the dangers of allowing mosquitoes to fester within their environment. We are in the IDP camp to help them control the mosquitoes around their environment, and to also let them know that there are ways to prevent mosquitoes from breeding on their own.”
The Registrar, Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON), who was represented by the Senior Technical Assistant to the Registrar and Director, of the Department of Registration, Ethics and Standards, Issa Adamu, noted that mosquitoes eradication is the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Environment and that the ministry is not relenting in fighting malaria.
“We are an agency under the Ministry of Environment. We have a special disease vector unit which has a free control programme working to ensure that mosquitoes among other parasites are not making Nigerians unhealthy as a result of their feeding habits and habitation,” he said.
He added that it is very important to concentrate on the vector in the fight against malaria.
