FARMERS and housewives of West Berbice last week joined the battle against mosquitoes.
A group of over sixty persons participated in the programme on control of mosquitoes which had targeted school children in the first phase.
The training was Funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and undertaken by the Guyana Environmental Capacity Development Project (GENCAPD) and the Ministry of Health under the theme: ‘Community Participation in Control of Vector-borne Diseases’.
It was Phase Two of the project targeting both children and adults.
The primary resource person was microbiologist, Dr. Palmira Ventosilla of Peru. Others were  K. Krishnalall, Chief Inspector Vector Control Services, Ministry of Health;  Ignatius Merai, Chief Environmental Health Officer, Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice) and staffers; GENCAPD intern, Nurse Donielle Douglas; and  volunteer,  Elizabeth Pontous.
Participants were taught about the lifecycle of mosquitoes and their possible breeding places, both inside and outside of the home.
They were shown live samples, and then in the field sessions, taught to inspect homes and yards for finding and eliminating breeding places of the insects.
They were also taught to use BTI, a microorganism which kills the mosquito larvae.
They were assured that BTI for follow-up on vector control at the end of the programme will be available to groups through the region’s Environmental Health Office.