Medical entomologist at the Department of Medical Microbiology at the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS), Prof Yaw Asare Afrane, has called for town councils and researchers to be empowered to combat mosquito breeding in the country.

He stressed the importance of maintaining sanitation and a clean environment to prevent the mass breeding of mosquitoes, which would help reduce the spread of certain diseases.

The UGMS lecturer lamented the inefficiency of town councils in Ghana, noting that they should have penalised citizens for keeping their surroundings unkempt.

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Speaking at the inaugural lecture at the University of Ghana on the theme “Fighting the Bite: Human Activities and the Changing Landscape of Mosquito-Borne Disease in Africa,” Prof Asare called for the restoration of town councils and the training of researchers with expertise in mosquito control to combat related ailments.

“This requires a collective effort from all of us. In our communities, we should work to get rid of stagnant water collected in cans, tins, car tyres, puddles, and drainage ditches. If we eliminate these breeding grounds, mosquitoes will not breed, bite us, and spread disease.

“When I was growing up, there was a system where the town council or municipal council had officers who inspected communities. If they found that you had not cleared your environment, they penalised you. Bringing this system back would be a wonderful way to eliminate mosquito breeding in our homes,” he said.

The medical entomologist further emphasised: “When developing new areas, public health practitioners should be part of urban and rural planning. In some parts of Accra and other towns, poor planning contributes to the persistence of mosquito-borne diseases. We need to train more people, especially those with expertise in mosquito research and control.”

He also shared findings from research conducted in Kumasi: “In an area bordering KNUST, where urban agriculture is practised, I collected mosquitoes and compared their density to that in areas without farming. Many mosquitoes in those agricultural zones were infected, and residents reported malaria episodes within three months. This shows that urban agriculture areas are major breeding grounds for infected mosquitoes.”

Watch the lecture below:



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