The Vector Control unit of Zoomlion Ghana limited and the Ministry of Health (MoH) will soon begin the use of a new biological agent to control the breeding of mosquitoes.
The agent, Bacillus thuringiensis var israelensis (Bti) kills the mosquito larvae at the breeding sites before they develop into adult mosquitoes.
The biological agent is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to control out
door mosquitoes.
The use of BTI has been touted by the WHO as environmentally safe as it does not emit toxins that threatens human and aquatic lives.
Senior Research Assistant with the Entomology team of Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Andy Asafu-Adjaye, disclosed this during a training program held in Sunyani for Zoomlion staff and stakeholders in malaria control.
He indicated that on-going research was revealing that mosquitoes were developing some resistance to some class of insecticides used for in-door residual spraying and the use of long lasting insecticide nets, hence the need to complement these efforts by using a safe biological agent such as BTI to kill mosquitoes at the larvae stage.
He said the MoH in partnership with Zoomlion Ghana limited was undertaking larvae source management activities in the various assemblies to complement interventions such as in-door residual spraying and the use of long lasting insecticide nets to help control mosquitoes that transmits malaria, and yellow fever.
Head of Vector Control Unit of Zoomlion, Rev. Ebenezer Kwame Addae explained that participants of the training programme which included Malaria Focal persons, Health promotion officers, District Environmental Health officers and staff of Zoomlion Ghana limited within the various districts in the Brong Ahafo region were exposed and trained on effective larval source management.
He said the scientific knowledge gain from the training will enable participants enhance their delivering of larviciding activities in our communities and improve health conditions of residents in the Brong Ahafo region.
BY Melvin Tarlue