ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) - The Ethiopian government on Wednesday reiterated its continued support to its neighboring country Djibouti in the Red Sea nation's fight against anti-vector disease campaign.
The statement was made by the Ethiopian Ambassador to Djibouti, Abdulaziz Mohamed, who noted the Ethiopian government's support to Djibouti's efforts in the ongoing anti-vector-induced disease campaign.
Vector-induced viruses have surged in Djibouti, causing diseases such as Dengue and Chikungunya, following the recent heavy rains that hit the Red Sea nation, as the rains triggered flash floods and the eventual public health perils, mainly vector-induced diseases.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) had recently warned over possible disease outbreaks due to the flooding that was induced by heavy rains and floods, which UNICEF estimated to have affected about 150,000 to 250,000 people in Djibouti.
According to UNICEF, unless appropriate measures applied, "flood-affected families will be exposed to morbidity and mortality due to the high risk of water- and mosquito-borne diseases."
"As part of the Ethiopian government's effort to support Djibouti's ongoing anti-vector-induced disease campaign, the government has played a key role in the efforts to bring an aerial spraying plane along with the mosquito repellent chemicals," an Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on Wednesday quoted Mohamed as saying.
The anti-vector disease spray operations started on Monday where the plane flew over different parts of Djibouti's capital in order to ensure the spreading of mosquito repellent chemicals end the spread of mosquito and other vectors, according to the ministry.
Mohamed, who commended the "unreserved efforts" that had been exerted by the government of Djibouti to end the occurrence of vector-induced disease in the Red Sea nation, also stressed that the Ethiopian government "will prop up its support to strengthen the vector control campaign."
