Saint Lucia is one of seven Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) member states that will receive fogging machines to boost efforts to fight mosquito-borne diseases.
The donation of 21 fogging machines and the necessary chemicals, made through CARPHA’s Pandemic Fund (PF) Project, is part of the regional health agency’s commitment to combat epidemic prone illnesses and strengthen the fight against diseases such as Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya, which continue to pose a significant public health threat in the Caribbean.
Dr. Lisa Indar, Ad Interim Executive Director of CARPHA, emphasised the importance of proactive measures in managing public health threats.
“This latest procurement by the PF project represents a timely boost to our vector control efforts and underscores our commitment to assisting our member states in addressing the continued risk of mosquito-borne diseases. By equipping member states with both machines and the necessary chemicals, CARPHA aims to reduce mosquito borne diseases by ensuring vector control measures are in place to protect communities,” she said in a statement on Monday.
The Kontrol 30/30 chemical donated to member states is a pyrethroid class of chemical – a group of man-made pesticides that are similar to the natural insecticide pyrethrum, derived from chrysanthemum flowers. They differ from the commonly used organophosphate class of chemicals and have been specifically selected to mitigate the possibility of insecticide resistance and ensure optimal knockdown of adult mosquitoes.
According to CARPHA, the recent acquisition of these machines, coupled with the accompanying chemicals, ensures effective application and coverage of large areas, which will help reduce mosquito populations and the transmission of diseases.
The beneficiary countries, in addition to Saint Lucia, are Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.
Acting Director Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control, Dr. Horace Cox reiterated that “notwithstanding this generous donation to boost control efforts, vector control officers are urged to adhere to standard operating procedures for the calibration and maintenance of these machines”.
Dengue transmission in the Americas and the Caribbean reached a record high in 2023, with the number of reported cases continuing to surge into 2024. Fogging machines are essential tools for controlling mosquito-borne illnesses by dispersing insecticide in fine droplets to create a fog that targets adult mosquitoes where they breed and feed, according to the Trinidad-based CARPHA.
