No community should be left behind

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I am writing about a public health issue affecting several communities. Despite the efforts of the government to clean gullies, there are many communities that are easily flooded when it rains due to the lack of regular cleaning of drains. This situation, I am sure, is not unique to one particular community. In a local community nearby, for example, whenever it rains, garbage is washed down from higher ground into that community because it is at the bottom of a hill.

That is only one part of the issue. Many residents of several communities can attest to the very high mosquito population, with many of them screening their windows and doors and using insect spray frequently. This is a public health concern because Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are breeding whenever the water settles and are capable of transmitting vector-borne diseases like dengue. The drains are not being cleaned frequently enough, and garbage settles and keeps the moisture there longer than it needs to be.

It also seems that fogging is only done once every few months in certain communities by the health authorities. This is a serious matter that needs to be put on the priority list of all parish health departments because there is room for improvement, with some communities being forgotten when initiatives are being put in place, and, if needs be, more funding from the government is needed so that the health authorities can carry out their duties more effectively and that no communities are left behind.

TONI-KAY CARD