EDITORIAL - Small bite, big threat

Malaria has killed millions of people, and there is widespread awareness that the killer disease is borne by mosquitoes. Science, however, has not yet come up with a way of eradicating mosquitoes, particularly in the tropics where the insects breed in dark and humid spots. In 2010 alone, malaria killed 660,000 people, most of them children in Africa, making it the deadliest disease attributed to vectors or organisms that transmit pathogens and parasites to humans.

Mosquitoes are also the carriers of what has become the fastest-growing vector-borne disease, dengue. Globalization, urbanization and climate change have caused a 30-fold jump in dengue incidence worldwide over the past half-century. As World Health Day is observed today, the focus is on raising public awareness of the dangers posed by mosquitoes and other vectors such as bugs, ticks, sandflies and snails.

The Philippines, which has one of the highest incidences of dengue, has also seen outbreaks in recent years of other mosquito-borne diseases such as chikungunya and Japanese encephalitis. Awareness of the symptoms can lead to early detection and treatment.

Preventive measures play a critical role. Health experts have seen cases of vector-borne diseases drop significantly with the mere provision of mosquito nets, especially those treated with insect repellents, in high-risk communities. Keeping surroundings clean and free of potential mosquito breeding grounds also keep disease away.

Governments can do their part not just through periodic defogging to eradicate mosquito breeding grounds but also by improving public access to clean water. The World Health Organization has pointed out that vector-borne diseases also come from unsafe water for consumption and personal hygiene. The lack of this basic necessity is still common in remote and impoverished communities. World Health Day is a reminder to policy makers that more can be done to confront the health threats posed by tiny organisms.