Anti-dengue campaign to
be taken in the classroom
PHILIPSBURG--The best way to stem the spread of dengue is to tackle it from within the classroom, Health Commissioner Maria Buncamper-Molanus said in addressing questions as to how the island government is continuing its dengue sensitization efforts in St. Maarten.
“An action plan has been put in place and, if all goes well, we should have an information package that will be coming out any day now,” she said.
“We want to do something good, and effective. Going into the schools is found to be one of the more effective ways and informing children is found to be the most effective way of dealing with this entire plan of action.”
Additionally, the fogging of the island to get rid of mosquitoes is continuing, she said.
Late last year the island was placed on pre-dengue alert with some 18 lab cases of dengue confirmed up to Tuesday, November 27, 2007. Of the 18 cases, ten of the tests were done at labs in French St. Martin while eight were done at labs in Dutch St. Maarten. Health authorities had said this figure was just “slightly” above the “normally recorded” figures for the island and is just one case above “historic figures.”
Authorities on both sides of the island had been meeting to assess the situation and take measures to combat the spread of the tropical disease, which is caused by a virus transported by mosquitoes and marked by high fever and severe muscle and joint pains.
