By Sue-Ann Wayow
A SERIES of educational activities will be held in Tobago focusing on the mosquito, the tiny insect with the detrimental bite.
For Caribbean Mosquito Awareness Week which will be observed from May 8 to 14, activities are being organised by the Office of the County Medical Officer of Health (O-CMOH), under the Division of Health, Wellness and Social Protection (DHWSP).
Included among these activities is a poster competition geared towards pupils at pre-school and primary school levels with the themes, ‘Life Cycle of a Mosquito’ and ‘Preventing Mosquito Bites,’ respectively.
At the secondary school level, pupils will compete in creating a 3D model of a house and surroundings displaying Mosquito Breeding Sites, a release from the Division stated.
Poster entries are to be submitted through school principals, who will select posters to be submitted on behalf of their school.
Once selected, posters must be submitted to the O-CMOH, together with registration forms signed by the school’s principal, by May 8.
The deadline and process for registration for secondary school students are the same but 3D models are to be brought directly to the Lowlands Mall on May 12 where they will be displayed and judged, during other related activities.
Caribbean Mosquito Awareness Week is observed annually to raise awareness and work with communities on the links between mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit such as Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika, Malaria and Yellow Fever.
The release stated, “It is in this vein that the O-CMOH is making every effort to sensitize the Tobago community on the steps to be taken to eliminate mosquito breeding sites and educate the public on diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and how to prevent mosquito bites.”
Other activities being undertaken during Caribbean Mosquito Awareness Week are:
- School Clean-Up campaigns to remove potential mosquito breeding sites;
- Dissemination of pamphlets and community educational drive by the Vector Control Unit of the Public Health Services Department, DHWSP;
- Displays and educational booths with giveaways at the Lowlands Mall on May 12.
For further information, persons can contact the Office of the County Medical Officer of Health at 639-3751.
