Jamaicans encouraged to take part in national clean-up days

The Government is calling for households across the island to participate in the upcoming national clean-up days later this month, geared towards eradicating mosquito breeding sites and beautifying communities.

At a Town Hall Meeting hosted at the Errol Flynn Marina in Port Antonio, Portland on Thursday, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton said the activities will be led by Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

“On the 24th, the 25th and the 26th of this month, Minister [of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange and all the rest of us [Government Ministers] will have a National Clean-up Day, in recognition of ridding the country of solid waste as part of the dengue eradication drive,” Tufton said.

“We want all citizens of Jamaica to be a part of that. We want every homeowner to look around their yards, take out the solid waste, put them out front and we are going to be working with National Solid Waste Management Authority and all the other agencies to rid this country of solid waste, because solid waste is a major cause of the dengue crisis that we face,” he added.

He noted that dengue “is a real challenge” that Jamaicans must “approach in a real way”.

“Dengue is endemic to Jamaica, because of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. The mosquito is the most deadly vector we have in the world; two million people globally per year are killed by the virus or otherwise that the mosquito transmits,” Tufton said.

“We have to live with it; we have to coexist with it, but what we can do, is control the population, and control the ability of the Aedes aegypti mosquito to breed and to expand,” he added.

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