Experts wary of fish to fight dengue
The National Dengue Control Program, a department under the Health Ministry, remains skeptical in the implementation of a new dengue-prevention method, citing concerns about the program’s long-term sustainability.
Despite a Malaria Consortium pilot project – which uses guppy fish to eat mosquito larvae to stem the spread of aedes mosquitoes, the carriers of dengue – showing positive results in reducing dengue infections, the department’s manager Rithea Leang was still wary of implementing it nationwide for fear of opposition from rural villagers as well as a lack of funding. “This project is only over two years. How can you be sure it will last five years? Based on this study you can see it’s cost effective, but still it’s too early to see if it’s sustainable,” he said when asked why the government remained wary despite the positive outcome of the project. “We’re not sure about this situation yet. “It is cost effective, user friendly, but in the next 10 years, the level of aspiration, the level of people accepting it, is it still the same or not? It will depend on the activity and also participation from the community.” When asked if the government would be willing to foot the bill to implement the project nationwide, Mr. Leang said that there needed to be multiple approaches to tackling the issue of dengue.
