SOCIAL POLICIES – Ordinance signed by Mayor Alan Fabbri. Ass. Coletti: “Fundamental activity that protects the health of the most fragile citizens”
With the signing of the ordinance by Mayor Alan Fabbri this morning, the plan for the fight against mosquitoes and the control of the diseases they transmit developed by the Department of Social and Health Policies of the Municipality of Ferrara enters the operational phase, and approved today on the proposal of the commissioner Cristina Coletti. A commitment that sees the municipal administration active on several fronts, from the cleaning and disinfestation of road drains to the free distribution of larvicidal kits to citizens, passing through constant monitoring of the effectiveness of the actions.
“With the warm season approaching – explains thecouncilor for social policy Christine Coletti – it is necessary to restore a very important social and health activity that protects above all the most fragile citizens. Insect bites can cause very serious damage to health, we are therefore ready to do whatever it takes to prevent their spread through targeted actions that will take place until October 31st, the date of termination of the ordinance that outlines the behaviors to be observed to control mosquito-borne diseases.”
To limit the proliferation of insects – specifically the tiger (Aedes albopictus) and common (Culex spp.) mosquito – the Municipality of Ferrara has entered into agreements with AFM and Federfarma to start the distribution in municipal and private pharmacies of sets containing anti-larval products , to be dosed in the wells of private homes, which can be requested and used independently by citizens as they are free from health risks. These kits can be collected starting tomorrow (Wednesday 10 May 2023) in participating pharmacies – recognizable by the display of a window sticker – upon presentation of a downloadable form on the websites of the Municipality of Ferrara and Ferrara Tua. The distribution of the insect will be monitored through the installation of 90 egg traps in the area, and in the meantime Ferrara Tua, in the period from April to October, has been commissioned by the Municipality to treat manhole covers, drains and all potential stagnations with anti-larval products of water in public areas, and possibly to disinfest with adult spray treatments to be nebulised, but only in cases of extraordinary or emergency infestation following a possible recrudescence of cases of diseases and epidemics transmitted by vectors. The larval fight involves 650 interventions per year in stagnations and slow-flowing watercourses, and in about 36,000 drains with 8 passages in each from April to October. Treatments will also be carried out in sensitive sites such as public parks, equipped green areas, schools and green areas that host events sponsored by the Municipality.
“This year too – says the president of Ferrara Tua Luca Cimarelli – we maximize the disinfestation commitment of Ferrara Tua and of the 11 municipal pharmacies where you can collect the kits with larvicidal products. It is a collaboration that demonstrates how fundamental synergy between institutions is to obtain positive results in favor of citizenship”.
“In all of this – he adds Coletti – citizens are called to be responsible by implementing simple behaviors that really make a difference in the fight against mosquitoes. As also specified in the union ordinance, courtyard areas must absolutely be kept free of waste, any form of stagnant water must be avoided and drains and gutters must be checked that they are clean. To protect the health of the weakest, everyone is called to do their part”.
As a result of an agreement signed between the Municipality and the Consorzio Futuro in Ricerca also participated by the University of Ferrara, a research project will be implemented aimed at an integrated strategy in the fight against mosquitoes as a result of which the framework of interventions will be completed by of the consortium which from the end of May will start quality controls of larvicidal treatments in almost 400 public drains, with the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of the treatments carried out. The investigations will lead to the creation of a georeferenced map of the treatments and to an in-depth analysis of the correlations between the types of products applied and the cases of criticality that are highlighted in the area. The research will be the subject of an annual final report in which the data collected on both thedulcidal and larvicidal treatments carried out in public and private areas will be processed in order to find ideas for improving the actions to be taken.
The Local Police and other law enforcement agencies will instead supervise the fulfillment of the obligations contained in the ordinance, prescribing adaptation actions or applying, in the event of violations, the sanctions envisaged ranging from a minimum of 75 euros up to a maximum of 450 EUR.
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