The government has adopted a proactive and coordinated approach to mitigating potential public health risks, with a multi-agency initiative involving the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Culture and Community Development.
Speaking at a Public Health Coordination Meeting at Kent House on Wednesday, Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen underscored the scale of the effort, noting that it stems from a Cabinet directive aimed at addressing mosquito-borne diseases, particularly dengue fever, before they escalate.
“Last year, the dengue situation reached crisis proportions, but that was only the tip of the iceberg because the truth is that for more than ten years, the Insect Vector Division has not been allowed to function at their full capacity.”
Minister Ameen criticised what she described as longstanding mismanagement within the Insect Vector Control Division, stating that this resulted in a “depleted capacity.”
She pointed out that several specialised positions remained vacant for years and, while acknowledging the need for more advanced equipment, noted persistent shortages of supplies and chemicals, as well as inadequate storage and office space.
The Minister added that several Regional Corporations had stepped in to support the Division’s operations in the interim. She said while the Ministry of Health is working to rebuild the Division’s capacity, this does not absolve Regional Corporations of their current responsibilities.
“Apart from spraying, we have to deal with source reduction. We have many vacant lots that contribute to the situation. We must engage our Litter-Prevention Unit, and part of our exercise will include revising our Litter-Prevention Wardens’ Units and building capacity in every Corporation.”
The Local Government Minister underscored the need for dedicated units to address the clearing of vacant lots, noting that adequate manpower is also required to effectively support this effort.
“We will discuss increasing manpower at the Regional Corporation, but also because the URP is now under the Ministry of Local Government, we can source labour there.”