World mosquito day observed

Kurnool: The World Mosquito Day was observed at Muzaffar Nagar Municipal High School in Kurnool on Wednesday under the aegis of District Medical and Health Officer (DM&HO) Dr P Shantakala.

Speaking on the occasion, she stated that the day is observed every year on August 20 to commemorate the discovery made by Sir Ronald Ross in 1897 that malaria is transmitted through the bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes.

This year, the observance was held with the theme “Accelerate the fight against malaria for a more equitable world.”

DPMO Dr Uma, in her address, stressed the importance of creating public awareness to prevent mosquito breeding and bites.

She pointed out that timely preventive measures could help in controlling diseases such as malaria, dengue, chikungunya, filariasis, and Japanese encephalitis.

DLATO Dr Bhaskar appealed to citizens to adopt preventive practices such as using mosquito nets, wearing protective clothing, avoiding water stagnation, and maintaining cleanliness in their surroundings.

PO RBSK Dr Maheshwara Prasad advised people with fever symptoms to seek medical treatment without delay at the nearest government health centre.

DMO Nookaraju urged residents to observe a weekly “Dry Day” on Fridays by eliminating water storage around households to curb mosquito breeding.

Later, a rally was conducted in Muzaffar Nagar with slogans promoting mosquito control and prevention. The programme witnessed active participation from biologist Venkateshwarlu, DEMO Srinivasulu Shetty, Deputy DEMO Chandrasekhar Reddy, Medical Officer Dr Jyothi, Dy HEO Padmavati, HM Prasad, projectionist Khaleel, teachers, health workers, ASHA workers, and others.