The Vector Control unit of Zoomlion Ghana Limited in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, is set to roll out the WHO-recommended technology, to control outdoor mosquitoes.
Bacillus thuringiensis var israelensis (BTI), the biological agent, is a bacterial agent that kills mosquito at the larvae stage during the process of larviciding at mosquito breeding sites, before they develop into adult mosquitoes.
The use of BTI has been touted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as environmentally safe and does not emit toxins that threaten human and aquatic lives.
A senior research assistant with the Entomology team of Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Andy Asafu-Adjaye indicated that on-going research is revealing that mosquitoes are developing some resistance to some class of insecticides used for indoor residual spraying and the use of long-lasting insecticide nets.
Speaking at a training program held in Sunyani, Bono Region capital, for Zoomlion staff and stakeholders in the malaria control exercise, he explained that mosquitoes’ resistance to the insecticides spray and nets, has created the need to complement these efforts by using a safe biological agent such as BTI to kill mosquitoes at the larvae stage.
He said the Ministry of Health in partnership with Zoomlion is undertaking larvae source management activities in the various district assemblies to help control mosquitoes that transmit malaria, yellow fever among other deadly diseases.
The Bono Regional Environmental Health Director, Isaac Richmond Mensah, was excited about the collaboration with Zoomlion to help address environmental health challenges.
The Head of Vector Control Unit of Zoomlion, Rev. Ebenezer Kwame Addae, said the scientific knowledge gained from the training will help improve the health conditions of residents in the region.
