Dear Editor,

In recent times there has been much talk about the chikungunya virus. In some circles people have blamed the Government, saying that they have not taken a proper stand in the way they have attempted to deal with it.

First, there were complaints that the reports given by the health ministry were not true reflections of how widespread the virus is.

There are those who even criticised the prime minister’s address at the recent People’s National Party conference forgetting that the real audience for the meeting were party faithfuls and workers whom the party president would want to charge and get them energised for the tasks ahead, so there might not have been the place for that.

Various entities in society also publicly declared that they believe that more needs to be done to inform the country and put measures in place that will prevent further spread and ultimately eradicate the virus.

One must be mindful that talk is cheap and anybody can say anything. The reality that we must face is that chikungunya is here and no one deliberately brought it here. The mosquitoes that transmit the virus were always here.

We must also be mindful that the mosquitoes that transmit the chikungunya virus breeds in water, which means that they actually live with us in our homes, in our bathrooms, in our kitchens, etc. The million-dollar questions are how do we get rid of them and how do we reduce the spread of the virus?

Let me declare that this is not just a problem for the Government, but a problem for all of us. We, as a people, in our communities, in our homes, must now ensure that we are not maintaining an environment that is favourable to the breeding of these mosquitoes. We must destroy the breeding sites within our homes and communities to first reduce the spread and then ultimately eradicate the virus.

Gary Rowe

magnett0072004@yahoo.com

Coleyville