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| Monday, 21 June 2004 |
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by Rohan Mathes Cuba would be gifting 200 litres of 'larvaecide' to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse to eradicate the mosquito menace predominant in the Hambantota District. Prime Minister's Advisor Sunimal Fernando told the 'Daily News' yesterday that this friendly gesture by the Cuban Government would undoubtedly be a major breakthrough in making Sri Lanka a mosquito-free country. "The use of this 'larvaecide' in the Hambantota District would be simultaneously monitored by the health authorities, who would if successful, propagate the exercise islandwide", Sunimal Fernando said. He pointed out that Cuba, another Third World and tropical country like Sri Lanka is virtually mosquito-free. It is also free of mosquito-borne diseases like Dengue, Malaria, Filaria and Japanese Encephalitis. Fernando said, "unlike in the use of chemical sprays such as 'Malathene', the unique feature of the Cuban 'larvaecide' is that the 'larvaecide' is a biological product which kills not the live mosquito, but the larvae which creates the mosquito. The chemical sprays which are readily available in the market in diverse brand names only kill the mosquitoes to some extent, but not the larvae, the source and the very genesis of the mosquito". However, he pointed out that this therapy for the eradication of the 'mosquito menace' has not seen the light of day, in the Third World due to the consistent and aggressive marketing effort of multinational and national business enterprises who have made a lucrative business off the manufacture of products to kill the mosquito and for the treatment of mosquito-related diseases. "The booming Pharmaceutical industry would lose considerably, if dreaded diseases such as Dengue and Malaria are totally wiped out simultaneously, along with the eradication of the mosquito. These diseases contribute immensely to the coffers of the Pharmaceutical industry and those of the Medical profession", he opined. Fernando explained that the 'Filaria' mosquito generally breeds in polluted water, the 'Malaria' mosquito in pools of stagnant fresh water, and 'Dengue' mosquito in artificial containers of fresh water such as water tanks. Therefore, he said, 'Dengue' was an urban phenomena as opposed to 'Malaria' which is more rural than urban. |
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