World Mosquito Day : Increasing awareness on mosquito control

World Mosquito Day, observed annually on 20th of August, is a commemoration of British doctor Sir Ronald Ross’s discovery in 1897 that female mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans. World Mosquito Day aims to raise awareness about the diseases spread by mosquitos and how they can be prevented, as well as fundraising for research into the control of these diseases. Mosquitoes are carriers or vectors for some of most deadly illnesses. Mosquito-borne diseases cause millions of deaths worldwide every year. Therefore mosquitoes are known as being one of the world’s deadliest creature.

According to the World Health Organization, mosquito bites result in the deaths of more than 1 million people every year. The majority of these deaths are due to malaria.

What is mosquito control?

Mosquito control manages the population of mosquitoes to reduce their damage to human health, economies, and enjoyment. Mosquito control is a vital public-health practice throughout the world and especially in the tropics because mosquitoes spread many diseases, such as malaria and the Zika virus.

Mosquito-control operations are targeted against three different problems:

Mosquitoes bother people around homes or in parks and recreational areas
Economically important mosquitoes reduce real estate values, adversely affect tourism and related business interests, or negatively impact livestock or poultry production
Public health is the focus when mosquitoes are vectors, or transmitters, of infectious disease.

Many of mosquito diseases are preventable by means of some protective measures and community mobilization.

On World Mosquito Day, ‘Malaria No More India’ launches a campaign called India Against Mosquitoes. To create awareness among the people to take collective initiative and promote innovative solutions for controlling the mosquito (Malaria No More India is a non-profit organization working to support India’s 2030 malaria elimination goal. Malaria is the leading concern for India, which has the fourth-largest load of malaria in the world.