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Following is a question by the Hon Alan Leong and a written reply by Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (November 26):
Question:
According to the ovitrap indices released each month by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, readings for September in three districts were within the alert zone of 20% to 40%, and the readings in Lam Tin were within the alert zone for three times since the beginning of this year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it has reviewed the effectiveness of the current anti-mosquito measures being carried out in various districts; if it has, of the results of the review; if not, how it finds out the effectiveness of the anti-mosquito measures; and
(b) of the new anti-mosquito strategy to be formulated to solve the mosquito problem?
Reply:
President,
Our reply to the Member's two-part question is as follows:-
(a) Since 2004, inter-departmental district anti-mosquito task forces have been set up in all districts, with a view to co-ordinating governmental efforts in preventing and controlling mosquito infestation at the district level, encouraging community involvement in anti-mosquito campaigns, and evaluating the effectiveness of anti-mosquito operations in respective districts. In addition, the Food and Health Bureau has set up the Anti-mosquito Steering Committee involving relevant departments, which will meet before each rainy season to map out directions for territory-wide anti-mosquito efforts for that year. The Steering Committee will regularly monitor anti-mosquito work in districts, and if necessary, co-ordinate the Government's anti-mosquito efforts at the bureau level.
On reviewing the effectiveness of anti-mosquito measures being carried out in various districts, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has been closely monitoring mosquito infestation reports from districts and findings from daily inspection and survey. It has also set up ovitraps at 38 different locations in various districts to monitor the breeding of Aedes albopictus. The Monthly Ovitrap Indices (MOIs) recorded in the first 10 months of 2008 are lower than the average MOIs of the relevant months recorded between 2000 and 2007. Indeed, the overall figures' downward trend over the past few years indicates that mosquito control efforts in the territory have been effective.
(b) As mentioned in part (a), the present data indicate that the mosquito control work in the territory has been effective. FEHD will continue to closely monitor the trend of ovitrap index in various districts and other related data and information, including reports on mosquito-borne diseases released by the World Health Organisation as well as authorities of neighbouring areas, latest technological developments in the prevention and control of mosquitoes and continued assessment of the effectiveness of Government anti-mosquito measures, with a view to fine-tuning relevant policies and work plans as appropriate. In the meantime, the Government will continue to implement various measures which have been demonstrated to be effective in anti-mosquito work through prevention and control of mosquitoes.
Ends/Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Issued at HKT 12:25
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