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Cañas Joins Effort To Fight Dengue
Cañas Joins
Effort To Fight Dengue
(InfoWebPress)
– Last March 29, more than 130 volunteers
came together in Cañas to go house by house
in the neighborhoods of Barrio Chorotega 1
and 2 and INVU Las Brisas, in an effort to
collect solid waste (possible breeding
grounds for dengue virus-carrying
mosquitoes) and encourage people to clean up
their yards and common areas to combat this
dangerous disease.
Coordinated by the Terra Nostra Association,
the “Sweeps against Dengue” initiative began
in 2006 and was conducted again in 2008,
providing excellent results that are
reflected in the decrease in the number of
dengue cases registered in areas where these
clean-up efforts have been organized. That’s
why the sweeps are being conducted again
this year.
The goal of this initiative is to educate
people about dengue prevention and clean
areas of debris that can hold water and turn
into mosquito breeding grounds. The program
also promotes citizen participation and
citizen responsibility in adequately
managing solid waste.
The communities that were selected for the
program this year are all at high risk for
the disease and presented, during 2008, a
high number of reported dengue cases. Cañas
was the canton with the third highest number
of dengue cases in the Chorotega Region in
2008, with 76 confirmed cases (a 3 percent
incidence rate).
With the sweep’s operations center being the
Barrio Chorotega Parochial Hall, the
activity began at 7 a.m. and concluded by
noon.
It is estimated that some 5,500 people
benefitted from the cleanup effort. The
waste collected included No. 1 and 2
plastic, plastic bags, aluminum, glass,
juice boxes, cardboard, metal cans, tires,
and other non-recyclable waste.
The volunteers work or belong to se several
organizations, both public and private,
including the Ministry of Health, the
Municipality of Cañas, the Red Cross, the
Ministry of Education, and the Costa Rican
Social Security System (CCSS).
Businesses collaborating in the sweep
included brewer Cerveceria Costa Rica,
construction company Holcim, Punto Rojo and
Riteve. Community groups also lent a hand,
such as the Barrio Chorotega Development
Association, INVU Las Brisas Neighbors
Association, and the Miguel Araya High
School.
Before the beginning of the sweep,
volunteers were instructed in adequate solid
waste handling and recovery of recyclable
materials and correct separation. They were
also given information that they could share
with residents.
The Cañas effort marked the ninth sweep of
the year, of the more than 15 that will take
place throughout the country, particularly
target high dengue-incidence areas.
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