World Mosquito Day: Expert urges stronger community action to curb breeding
A pest control expert in Nigeria is urging communities to take proactive steps to eliminate mosquito breeding sites to combat high malaria rates. The call to action emphasizes environmental sanitation, such as clearing stagnant water and vegetation, to reduce the disease's significant mortality burden.
Why it matters
Malaria remains a leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa, and community-level prevention is essential for reducing the massive public health burden in countries like Nigeria.
From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja A pest control expert, Mr Bamidele Abiru, has called for stronger community action against mosquito breeding sites, warning that environmental neglect remains a major driver of malaria transmission in Nigeria. Abiru made the call during a medical outreach organised by Greenbox Facilities Limited at Gosa Community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as part of activities marking World Mosquito Day. He said preventing mosquitoes from breeding in residential areas was critical to reducing malaria infections and the deaths associated with the disease, particularly in a country carrying one of the world’s heaviest malaria burdens. According to him, between 600,000 and 700,000 people die from malaria-related complications annually across sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigeria accounting for an estimated 180,000 to 200,000 of the deaths. “Most people do not know that mosquitoes are among the deadliest killers of humans.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in