THE case of the three people charged yesterday under the Public Order Health Act Cap 111, Section 109 and 110 is interesting.
In what is being seen as a landmark case, they are being charged for allegedly breeding mosquitoes within their compounds.
As our report on Page 5 today reveals, Ba Rural Local Authority secretary Mosese Koroi said the three homeowners from Mihamajan, Veisaru and Naidrodro settlements were identified during routine inspections by health officers.
They apparently came across “mosquito breeding receptacles during house-to-house inspections”.
Mr Koroi hopes the ruling will “send a clear message to all Ba residents that they need to ensure their compounds are kept clean and clear of vessels that can breed mosquitoes”.
The three homeowners, he said, were charged with keeping drums and tyres that contained mosquito larvae.
He has advised homeowners to be vigilant because of what he said was an increase in the number of people with dengue fever in the area.
He acknowledged the threats of Zika and chikungunya.
The threat of dengue or any of the other two sicknesses is real.
Dengue fever, a vector-borne viral infection transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, isn’t something we should take lightly.
The World Health Organization estimates that between 50 and 100 million people are infected annually around the world.
People suffering from the infection will have a number of symptoms including high fever, severe joint pain, rashes, vomiting and mild bleeding from the mouth and nose.
Symptoms last between five to seven days. While there is no vaccine for it, most people quickly recover with proper medical care.
Prevention is critical though and must involve everyone, from the State to the average man and woman on the street.
Dengue fever can be fatal.
The onus is on us as individuals to look around and start cleaning our compounds first.
Let’s empty containers, get rid of old tyres, drums and make sure potplants are not carrying stagnant water. Let’s keep mosquito repellents handy and have our compounds clean and tidy.
Awareness campaigns are held every year. Yet, every year, as the number of people infected with a sickness spread by mosquitoes piles up, there are still some inconsiderate people who hesitate to clean their compounds, leaving bushy land which become fertile ground for mosquitoes to breed in.
This case in Ba could perhaps be seen as a test case for many municipalities around the country.
Perhaps more people need to be made aware of the little things they can do to contribute to the greater good of the nation.
