‘Dengue Ijaaba’: HDC identifies major mosquito breeding grounds in Hulhumale’

Housing Development Corporation (HDC) conducted a special event on Saturday to identify and clean up major mosquito breeding grounds in Hulhumale’ amid a spike in dengue cases.

The event ‘Dengue Ijaaba’ began at 07:00 am Saturday.

HDC’s spokesperson Ali Mashar told Sun that around nine areas were cleaned up during the event.

“Participants were distributed into nine teams. They identified mosquito breeding grounds,” he said.

Mashar said that the teams identified all major mosquito breeding grounds in Hulhumale’.

The mosquito breeding grounds will be cleared by the cleaning team using chemicals, he said.

HDC’s managing director Ahmed Athif said the dengue control and prevention program is of immense importance.

He noted that the threat of dengue has increased with the current rainy season in Maldives.

“Mosquito breeding grounds across Hulhumale’ will be cleaned up in this event, organized by the HDC staff club to support efforts by the government and HPA to take precautionary measures,” he said.

Athif said HDC’s cleaning team and operations team continues to identify and clean up mosquito breeding grounds.

Athif noted that statistics released by HPA show an increase in cases of dengue, and said it requires urgent attention.

He described the ‘Dengue Ijaaba’ program as the first step to raising awareness among the people living in Hulhumale’.

Athif said it is not something that can be accomplished in one day, and that he hopes to see everyone practice the habit of cleaning the environment and destroy mosquito breeding grounds.

Maldives has been four fatalities from dengue in October alone, prompting HPA to advice the public to take precautions.

The fatalities include an eight-year-old, a nine-year-old, a 19-year-old, and a 21-year-old.