THE first meeting of a forum to deal with eThekwini’s rodent problem was held on Thursday, 17 March.
The City Rodent Management Forum, made up of the Vector Control, Roads and Stormwater, Parks, Durban Solid Waste, eThekwini Transport Authority, Informal Trade, Markets, Environmental Health and Areas Based Management departments, met to formulate an integrated plan of action to handle the situation.
“It is a reality that we have incidents of rats breeding in places they should not be. It is important for us to come together as relevant stakeholders to discuss a way forward. We have to deal with the problem at the source, otherwise we will keep treating only the symptoms and the problem will continue repeating itself,” said eThekwini head of the communicable disease control department, Dr Ayo Olowolagba.
Don’t create the conditions for rodents to breed
Rodents are hosts for more than 60 different diseases including the plague, rat-bite fever and murine typhus. Rodent breeding sites include areas where there is lots of refuse; derelict buildings; unmaintained road verges and taxi and bus ranks, among others.
“An important message is that everyone has a role to play to help solve this problem. That includes the public who needs to practise proper waste management. We are all generators of waste but we need to handle it properly. Every bit of littered dirt makes a difference.
If you are trading or living in an area, keep it clean
If you are trading or living in an area, keep it clean. Don’t create the conditions for rodents to breed. We need a mindset change among people, which is why we need influential people in communities to come on board and help us educate people,” said Dr Olowolagba.
