Lagos Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode
Ambode, who was represented by the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare stated that the move to eliminate disease vectors reinforced the commitment of the administration to bequeath to posterity a safe, secure and hygienic environment that would continue to serve as the bedrock of our prosperity in the state.
He stressed that Lagos, as a burgeoning global urban agglomeration with a population of over 22 million people and daily waste generation of 13,000 metric tons, required proactive environmental management to control pests and by extension diseases.
“No doubt the alluring feature of our state exposes it to a number of threats that if unchecked can spell doom for the well-being of Lagosians in general. The environmental and health hazard that vectors present to our people can therefore not be ignored,” he said.
He said that vector control remained the way out to protect human populations from epidemic such as Lassa Fever, Malaria, Zika Virus, West Nile Virus and Dengue fever, among others, adding that reducing the incidence of vector-borne diseases was greatly dependent on the ability to control the vectors that transmit these diseases.
According to him, this why Lagos State Government is delivering effective “deratization” of markets and adjoining streets in the State through the use of time tested technology.
He said that with the flag-off of the vector control programme, the government was poised to take advantage of the many benefits of vector control, including less illness, better sleep, safety of home, buildings and markets and ultimately peace of mind.
“It is noteworthy that all over the world vector management/control has grown to become an economy on its own, providing sizable income and job opportunities to many. We wish to therefore take advantage of the enormous economic opportunities that this will afford us in Lagos State”, he said.
“Vector control is a means of eradicating disease carrying vectors such as mammals, bats, insects, cockroaches, rats and other arthropods, collectively called “vectors” which transmit disease pathogens. The most frequent type of vector control is mosquito control using a variety of strategies. Several of the “neglected tropical diseases” are spread by such vectors,” he said.
He urged Lagosians, as beneficiaries of this initiative, to cooperate with agents of government who would be going round markets to rid them of rodents and other disease vectors.
His words: “I therefore urge all lovers of the environment, market leaders, local government administrators, business owners, home owners and all and sundry to join the determination to eliminate diseases by eradicating rodents from homes and markets in the state; for everything, including human civilization as we know it today, rests on the environment.
“Ladies and gentlemen, let me quickly emphasize that the vector- control programme is in line with our goal of regenerating the environment in order to make it livable for all; and for certain we all have a role to play in this by ensuring proper sanitation of our surroundings, markets, tenements and offices.”
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