Fight Mosquitoes To Prevent Zika Virus – Expert

The Director, Public Health,
Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr Nnana Victor Onyekwere has stressed the need for the collective national fight against the malaria vector-mosquito to further prevent the contraction of the zika virus.
Onyekwere who told The Tide that transmitted the zika virus was contracted by a specie of mosquitoe called Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus and common in the Southern and Northern  American continent said the conscious effort to fight against the common anopheles mosquito and transmitter of malaria would on a second note prevent the zika virus.
Revealing that the virus has been said to be contracted sexually, Onyekwere described Nigerians as good travellers adding that the consciousness will go with them even to those continents and they are sure to be free of the virus.
“We Nigerians, we are good at travelling and what is the guarantee that we will not contract it and bring it to Nigeria. We need to be careful of mosquito and prevent it with the best of our efforts.
Onyekwere said “malaria has resulted in pregnancies lost,  children deaths, still births, manpower lost  as well as cerebral cases and so, we need to fight against it at all cost”.
While noting with dismay the abusive usage of the Long  Lasting  Insecticide  Nets (LLINs), the director said however that the “interesting thing is that people keep coming to us and asking for the nets. They say they are disturbed by mosquitoes in their areas and so, this gives the impression that the awareness and consciousness is there”.
On the World Malaria Day, Onyekwere revealed that partners were mobilized and involved in making the day impactful.
“The same thing we are doing here at the state secretariat, our partners including the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), MCC, LNG-Bonny, Ahoada-West Local Government Council are doing same at their different points, all geared towards creating the awareness and need to destroy  mosquito and live a life free of malaria across the state”, he stated.

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