Health Dept. to Conduct Rat Eradication Programme in St. Mary

The St. Mary Health Department will be embarking on a rat eradication programme in a number of communities in the parish.
Anthony Robins, Chief Public Health Inspector for St. Mary, told JIS News that the campaign would be conducted in all the major townships of the parish, as well as in a number of specially selected areas, which have been plagued with rodent problems.
He said major focus would be placed on farming communities, as those areas were among the ones most severely affected.
Mr. Robins said a committee has already been put in place to work out the details and co-ordinate the effort with residents of the communities involved.He explained that funding would be sought from a number of government and non-governmental entities, including the Ministry of Health and the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica.
Mr. Robins pointed out that the programme would involve the distribution of rat baits and other required chemicals to deal with the infestation problem.
He said the Health Department would also be conducting a public education drive throughout the parish to seek the co-operation of the communities, and to sensitise residents about the health risks posed by the infestation problem.
Mr. Robins said the campaign would emphasise the importance of ensuring the proper disposal of garbage, the need to remove overgrown vegetation and the careful storage of foodstuff, as critical factors in the effort to eradicate the problem.