The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture
Organisation, Mr. Graziano da Silva has offered FAO’s technical assistance in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in
the effort to contain Zika, reports NaijaAgroNet.
Zika, NaijaAgoNet gathered, is a mosquito-borne disease that
has been detected in the country, where a humid and warm climate is ideal for
the insects’ proliferation.
Speaking in Rome at the weekend, FAO boss said they are
responsible for prevention, describing prevention as fundamental to containing
zika globally.
“FAO is responsible for prevention, not for the disease
itself. Prevention is fundamental,” he said, stressing that using insecticides
in urban areas may not be enough to eradicate the mosquitos.
He revealed that FAO and the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) have a joint programme to support member countries in insect pest
control which has developed a technique of using sterile insects to combat such
disease vectors.