Rousseff goes campaigning for mosquito control awareness
Brasília - The president monitored Aedes aegypti wipeout actions at Navy facilities.
President Dilma Rousseff is starting a campaign this week as part of the government's efforts to contain the spreading of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which transmit dengue, chikungunya, and Zika virus. The initiative is designed to sensitize leaders to what the president has described as a “war” on the mosquitoes.
The president wants to talk to representatives from churches, community leaders, and business leaders, call them to action helping eliminate the insects, and continue working with state and local governments. Radio and TV station owners may also be contacted by the president. She said the campaign will serve to “demonstrate” that everyone should get involved, “from soldier to scientist, from street cleaner to housewife.”
A massive advertising campaing will run under the theme "Zika Zero"
The government also wants to use the Ministry of Education's free daily five-minute time slot to get TV audiences engaged in the campaign. And, as of March, a massive advertising campaign will run on radio and TV. Advertisers are asked to use the theme “Zika Zero”, which has become a popular social media hashtag, and the marketing collateral should include the slogan, “A mosquito can't beat a whole country.”
The government is concerned about the surge in microcephaly, a brain malformation in newborns that has been related to Zika virus. A total 270 babies are confirmed to have been born with microcephaly in Brazil, in addition to a further 3,400 potential cases. Last week, a public building clean-up schedule kicked off with regular clean-up days to eliminate mosquito breeding sites. Moreover, 220,000 military men will visit homes and give information to residents in 356 cities on February 13.
At schools
Next Thursday (Feb. 4), Education Minister Aloizio Mercadante will begin a school campaign to engage 40 million schoolchildren and more than 7 million college students in the topic.
The purpose is to educate students about steps to prevent the spreading of mosquitoes and have them pass it on to their families and join the campaign efforts. Leaflets, booklets, posters, and class materials are also being developed for teachers. The campaign should reach its peak stage in the weeks after Carnival.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Rousseff goes campaigning for mosquito control awareness
