Congo/ Fighting malaria: CRS raises awareness of sanitation

As part of the activities organized on the first Saturday of the month, dedicated to the sanitation of public and private spaces, Catholic Relief Services (CRC), in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Population, organized a cleanliness and environmental sanitation awareness campaign on July 5 at the Marché Total in Bacongo, to reinforce the fight against malaria.

A number of Brazzavillois took part in the clean-up operation in and around the Marché Total, in the company of Jean-Rosaire Ibara, Minister of Health, Juste Desiré Mondelé, Minister of Urban Sanitation, and mayors. This civic activity raised public awareness of the need to combat malaria through the proper use of long-lasting impregnated mosquito nets (LLINs) and environmental sanitation.

"As shop assistants, we are at the origin of insalubrity, and we are unfortunately the first victims of the diseases that result from it. We've just been made aware of this, and now we have to get on with keeping our environment clean and making good use of mosquito nets in our households ", explained a shopkeeper who took part in the sanitation operation.

This initiative is part of the communication and social mobilization campaign for the distribution of LLINs, launched on Saturday June 28 by the Ministry of Health and Population with the support of partners in Odziba in the Djoué-Léfini department.

" In the Igné Ngabé Mayama health district, we launched a digital pilot campaign for the distribution of impregnated mosquito nets. At the end of it, we'll have an idea of how the software works, and then we'll launch the campaign proper by the end of July. The winning duo is the proper use of impregnated mosquito nets and environmental clean-up", explained Prudence Baganda, a member of the CRS communications team, who went on to explain that this national campaign will take place in three phases.

Her colleague Francky Lucien Ibata agreed, urging the population to respect and apply all the messages disseminated as part of the fight against malaria. "We are distributing mosquito nets to protect citizens, but as long as mosquitoes are operational during the day, we will reduce our efforts. We have to go to the source in this fight, by cleaning up our environment", he reminded us.

It should be noted that this project is supported by the Global Fund to Fight Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Malaria. The RC, for its part, is providing support to the Ministry of Health and Population with a grant as part of the fight against malaria and the strengthening of the health system.

Source: www.adiac-congo.com/