Health
World Mosquito Day: Experts urge Nigerians to eliminate mosquito breeding sites
Health and environmental experts have urged Nigerians to eliminate mosquito breeding sites and maintain clean surroundings as part of efforts to prevent malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.
The experts made the call on Friday during a medical outreach organised by Greenbox Facilities Limited in Gosa Community, Federal Capital Territory, to commemorate the 2026 World Mosquito Day, observed annually on August 20.
The outreach, the third edition organised by the company under its Corporate Social Responsibility programme, featured malaria testing, HIV screening, Hepatitis B and C tests, as well as the distribution of mosquito nets and food items to residents.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of Greenbox Facilities Limited, Bamidele Abiru, said environmental cleanliness remained critical to reducing mosquito breeding and malaria transmission.
He urged residents to eliminate stagnant water, clear overgrown vegetation and keep their surroundings clean.
Abiru said the initiative was part of the company’s efforts to support communities within its areas of operation and complement government interventions against malaria.
“Most people do not know that mosquitoes are among the deadliest killers of humans. Between 600,000 and 700,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa die from malaria every year.
“As part of our responsibility as a pest control company, we decided to reach out to communities within our area of operation and support government efforts in combating malaria,” he said.
According to him, about 500 households were targeted in the outreach.
Abiru also called on individuals and organisations to support vulnerable communities through Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, stressing that government could not address all societal challenges alone.
“Government cannot solve all the problems confronting citizens alone. Progress can be achieved through collaboration between government, organisations and individuals,” he said.
Also speaking, the Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme, Nnena Ogbulafor, urged Nigerians to keep their environments free from mosquito breeding sites.
Ogbulafor, represented by Henry Odume, Assistant Chief Scientific Officer under the Integrated Vector Management Unit, said malaria prevalence in the FCT had declined from 18.8 per cent in 2021 to 7.9 per cent in 2025.
She attributed the decline to sustained interventions by the NMEP, including the distribution of insecticide-treated nets and malaria prevention programmes.
Ogbulafor said more than 320 million insecticide-treated nets had been distributed to households across Nigeria, while over 450 million doses of Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine plus Amodiaquine had been administered to children under five to prevent malaria.
She said Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention in northern states and Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention in high-transmission areas were also helping to reduce the burden of malaria.
“These achievements are not just statistics; they represent healthier children, stronger families and a brighter future for Nigeria,” she said.
An Environmental Health Officer, Joseph Nor, said maintaining a healthy environment was the responsibility of all residents, urging people not to wait for government intervention before taking steps to keep their surroundings clean.
Similarly, a public health expert, Nurse Olaitan Ayodeji-Ojo, advised residents to seek prompt medical attention whenever they fall ill.
She urged parents to take sick children to health facilities and advised pregnant women to register early for antenatal care.
One of the beneficiaries, Happiness Mika, commended the organisers and pledged to continue using the mosquito net distributed during the programme.
The organisers and volunteers also cleaned and fumigated parts of the community and cleared blocked drainage channels as part of activities marking World Mosquito Day.
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