On Wednesday 21st September 2016, at the Babonneau Community Centre the Ministry of Health and Wellness through the Department of Environmental Health, Babonneau Community Council, CARPHA, Babonneau Youth Synergy, Ministry of Infrastructure, in collaboration with the Water and Sewerage Company Inc. (WASCO) are embarking on a community partnership programme for vector mitigation in the community of Babonneau due to increasing population of vectors in the community. This comes on the backdrop on the department’s launching of Vector Control Awareness Campaign which commenced on June 22nd 2015.
Vectors often live in close proximity to humans and can be serious pests under certain conditions. They are capable of transmitting organisms that can cause diseases in both humans and animals. We reside in what is considered to be the heat beat of Saint Lucia and it is our responsibility to protect our environment and our properties. The risks that we incur at the spread of vector borne diseases is considerable. It impacts our tourism industry, job productivity and absenteeism and most importantly, it impacts our health system. We must act, prevent and bring out expertise together. Working together, we hope to mobilize communities, identify resources and develop strategies that our population will answer.
The Department envisions this venture to be undertaken collectively as a community, as it is the most practicable way to combat the control of vectors. We are therefore requesting a meeting with all community stakeholders/representative to discuss an effective strategy to control vectors. The conclusion of the discussion will help us reduce the proliferation of vectors and improve the aesthetics of the environment. This will also improve the image and creditability of our agencies in the eyes of the community.
