Group Tasks Community On Clean Environment

The Executive Director of a Port Harcourt based civil society organisation, Canaan Peace Women and Community Development Initiative (CAPWOCODI) Mrs Christie Iwezor has described environmental cleanliness as a major tool for achieving malaria free society.

Mrs Iwezor who said this during an anti-malaria sensitisation seminar at Oba-Ama in the Okrika Local Government Area, Rivers State, said that there would be no place for mosquitoes which transmit malaria to hide if the environment is kept clean.

She particularly urged the people to ensure that broken pots, empty tins and water sachets are destroyed and buried while plants such as plantains and banana are not close to residential buildings.

“Therefore, the need for environmental sanitation and maintenance of good sanitary habit, clean environment for malaria free and healthy society is highly solicited for.”

Mrs Iwezor also stressed the need for the people to avail themselves of the health facilities provided in the area by the Rivers State government, while also urging them to pass the message across to “our households and neighbours in order to be able to imbibe these personal protective measures, promoting environmental management and sanitation”.

Also speaking, the wife of the Chairman of Okrika Local Government Council, Barrister (Mrs) Tamuno Mac William urged the people to ensure that the long lasting treated mosquitoes nets given to them were effectively put into use.

She also commended the organisation for the inclusion of Oba-Ama in its campaign.

The malaria focal person in the area, Mr Sekibo Owen Ibifuro urged them to report all cases to the health officers in the community for necessary assistance.