Temer urges population to take part in campaign against Aedes aegypti

In a statement made today (Dec. 2), President Milchel Temer urged the Brazilian population to take part in a campaign designed by the federal government to combat the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits the Zika virus, as well as chikungunya and dengue fever.

“Let’s face it, it’s an important campaign that doesn’t pose too many difficulties. It’s enough if every child in school and every adult, at home or arriving at work, check whether there is stale water somewhere, which is usually the factor leading to a larva and later on the mosquito,” he said in a quick address during a visit to the National Coordination and Control Room, which monitors breeding sites, in Brasília.

Temer further noted that the country saw a 5% reduction in the number of cases of dengue compared to 2015. The government expects the number to drop “substantially” next year, he said.

The president also participated in a video conference with representatives from five states from their monitoring rooms, launching actions that mark December 2 as the National Day for the Combat Against the Mosquito.

The government’s proposal is for states and municipalities is to bolster strategies against the mosquito ahead of the summer. Cabinet members and other federal authorities are to visit a number of state capitals in a bid to raise the population’s awareness about the importance of joining efforts to fight the mosquito.

Military men from the Armed Forces, health professionals, and Civil Defense agents are out on the streets to carry out actions against the Aedes aegypti.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira