Health Ministry sends 17 tons of larvicide for states to fight dengue mosquito
This week, the Ministry of Health sent larvicide supplies to states in Brazil's Northeast and Southeast as part of its plan to fight the Aedes aegypti mosquito. According to official data, 17.9 tons of the product have been sent out, following the requests made by the state governors.
The employment of health agents, along with the purchase of supplies and the equipment offered for the use of insecticides and larvicides are part of one of the three fronts of the National Plan Against Microcephaly, launched this month by the Federal Government.
According to a note issued by the Ministry of Health, the amount of larvicide sent is enough to treat the volume of water in more than 3,500 Olympic-size swimming pools. The product is used when other strategies fail to eliminate risks in standing water, where the mosquito breeds. This year, 114,4 tons of larvicide were sent all across the country—enough to treat 57.2 billion liters of water. For next year, the Ministry of Health has acquired 100 tons of the product, which is expected to suffice for up to June, 2016.
The government has stressed the role of the population in the process of preventing and controlling dengue through the adoption of simple measures, like the elimination of containers which may collect water and serve as breeding ground for the Aedes aegypti.
In its new campaign aimed at raising awareness about dengue fever, the Health Ministry urges people to take a few minutes on Saturday to eliminate potential breeding sites. “It's clean-up Saturday. Don't take it easy on the dengue mosquito,” the motto reads.
Translated by Fabrício Ferreira
Fonte: Health Ministry sends 17 tons of larvicide for states to fight dengue mosquito
