Health Hygiene & Sanitation

Lesson 18 : Vector Management

Community Involvement In Vector Control

Active participation of community is essential for the success of mosquito-control programmes.

1. Participating in planning, implementing and evaluation of vector control.
2. Supporting these activities by providing; labour, time, money, materials.
3. Accepting and making use of the services provided.
4. Undertaking mass activities involving groups of workers for a limited time e.g. cleaning activities, adding temephos sand granules etc.

Prevent breeding of mosquitoes- community level

At all times:

1. Turn pails and watering cans over and store them under shelter. Place all articles that collect rainwater under shelter at all times.
2. Cover rarely used gully traps. If possible, replace gully trap covers with non perforated ones and install anti-mosquito valves.
3. Don’t throw: Paper cups and water bottles thrown indiscriminately into drains, grass verges, roadsides, vacant lands and other public places can collect rainwater and help mosquitoes breed.

Every week:

1. Drain water from: tanks, barrels, drums and buckets, used car tyres, animal water troughs, water storage vessels, plastic food containers, used coconut shells and cooler etc before refilling.
2. Empty coolers when not in use.
3. Change water in flower vases.
4. Scrub the inside of vases to remove mosquito eggs.
5. Clear fallen leaves and stagnant water in drains and garden. Some leaves can collect water.

Once a month:

1. Add prescribed amounts of sand granular insecticide (Temephos,1 part per million) to container, vases, gully traps and roof gutters, even if they are dry. (Caution: Do not add the chemical to drinking water. Keep it out of reach of children).
2. Clear away leaves in roof gutters and apron drains where feasible.

Health Education – Individual & Family Level

• Seek health advice as early as possible
• Hence the community should be made aware of these things, for early reporting
• Encouraging personnel protection
• Encouraging to adopt intermittent irrigation techniques
• Encouraging clean surrounding around dwelling premises
• Segregation of amplifier hosts by mosquito proofing
• Create awareness of the measures of vector control

Health Education – At Community Level

1. Remove water from coolers and other small containers at least once a week
2. Use aerosols during day time to prevent the bites of mosquitoes
3. Don’t wear clothes that expose arms and legs
4. Children should not be allowed to play in shorts and half sleeved clothes
5. Use mosquito nets or mosquito repellents while sleeping during day time
6. Use various media like TV, radio, news paper, cinema to impart knowledge

Constraints in Control Measures

1. Resistance of vectors to the insecticides
2. Less potent insecticides
3. Rapid urbanization and deforestation
4. New types of irrigation
5. Construction of dams, development projects, railways, airports, seaports, construction works which will contribute mosquito breeding places
6. Life style change in people; clothing, nocturnal work pattern, etc.
7. Lack of political interest in vector control programmes.
8. Administrative failure due to lack of money, materials and manpower.
9. Lack of research activity

Vectors were there before us, they are there with us, they will be there even after we have gone.
So, complete eradication is not possible.
The prevention is the only answer.