KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Ministry of Health in partnership with several stakeholders will embark on a national cleanup day dubbed “Operation Mosquito Search and Destroy” this Saturday.

In a recent meeting of the Ministry’s National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) along with the Ministry of Local Government, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM), the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), JEEP, JDF, JCF, Social Development Commission (SDC), the Kingston & St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) among others, it was agreed that the official launch of the national cleanup day will take place this Wednesday.

The launch will involve all the stakeholders who will speak to their area of involvement and mobilisation and motivation of citizens as a major component of the operation.

“Spanish Town will be the main area of focus for Saturday’s ‘operation: mosquito search and destroy’ activities as it is one of our high Aedes index areas, which means a high proportion of homes in the area have been found to have breeding sites of the Aedes aegypti mosquito which spreads the zika, dengue and chikungunya viruses in that area,” Chief Medical Officer, Dr Winston De La Haye said.

Health Minister Horace Dalley indicated that “the national cleanup day is not a one day effort and although Spanish Town will be the focus of the activities on that day, all hands need to be on deck in this national approach to ridding our homes of mosquito breeding sites.”

The time and venue for the official launch of “Operation Mosquito Search and Destroy” will be announced shortly.