"Controlling mosquitoes and preventing diseases requires smarter policies, not more billions
The Zika virus is increasingly linked to serious neurological complications for pregnant women and microcephaly in newborns: smaller than normal heads and brains.
It also affects areas of fetal brains that control basic muscular, motor, speech and other functions, leading to severe debilities that require expensive care throughout a person’s life.
...Not surprisingly, the request has spawned new budget battles in Washington.
...Meanwhile, much can be done right now, to reduce mosquito populations and slash the incidence and spread of this disease, for far less than $2 billion.
It requires smarter policies, more focused efforts.
(go to this list!)
...They live close to houses, rarely fly more than 80 feet from where they hatch, bite during the day, and hatch from eggs laid in tires, cans, jars, flower pots, vases, bromeliads, holes in trees, and almost any other containers that hold water, indoors and outdoors, in backyards and junkyards.
That means national and international health ministries, neighborhoods and individual families can undertake simple, low-cost actions that will bring rapid, significant returns with limited time, money and resources – by eliminating mosquitoes and keeping them away from people. They should start now...
This multi-pronged approach is true “integrated vector and disease control.”
It will bring rapid returns.
...We cannot afford to deemphasize or shortchange the less sexy, but proven, highly effective, truly integrated vector and disease control programs described above.
These strategies can and must be employed now, to eliminate Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and the horrible diseases they spread.
They will save lives now – in time for the Olympics, before these bugs and diseases claim more victims.
