BCC to spray against mosquitoes mid October

The Blantyre City Council (BCC) has said it will spray against mosquitoes from mid October to control a malaria outbreak in the city.

The council, which did not do the exercise last year, said it will implement the project targeting rivers and other water reservoirs which are prone to mosquito breeding.

The council’s director of health services Dr. Emmanuel Kanjunjunju said in an interview on Wednesday he is aware of the increase of mosquitoes in the city.

He, however, said BCC did not have enough funds to buy malaria preventative equipment for every household.

Kanjunjunju appealed to city residents to help the council by contributing funds in their communities to buy more chemicals and equipment.

“The council is expected to start spraying the chemicals in a fortnight and the main target will be rivers and marshy areas. Despite being mosquito breeding areas, rivers are a source of water for many. This is the main reason the council delays or abandons the mosquito controlling project at times for fear of food poisoning,” he said.

He said BCC did not spray chemicals last year due to bad timing, saying, the spraying is supposed to start in summer in readiness for the rainy season.