A large number of high school students took part in this extensive awareness day against Rift Valley Fever (RVF). This event was held on Tuesday, November 18, at the Kolda regional stadium, an initiative of the "Waajal Xaléyi" program, implemented jointly by the armed forces and the education sector to promote civic responsibility, citizenship, and health prevention.

The goal is to inform students in the second year of secondary school about this zoonotic disease so that they, in turn, become community ambassadors capable of spreading the right prevention messages.

 

This strategy is considered essential given that the Kolda region has officially been experiencing an epidemic since last week.

Thus, the representative of the Regional Committee for Epidemic Management recalled that one human case and nine animal cases were detected in the department of Vélingara, Kolda region.

The Captain-Doctor of the Moussa Molo military camp, the Regional Director of Livestock and Animal Production, and the Captain, head of the regional hygiene brigade, all insisted on strict adherence to preventive measures.

These authorities stressed the importance of avoiding any direct contact with sick animals or their products, of consuming only well-cooked meat and boiled milk, of regularly using mosquito nets to reduce the risk of bites, of immediately seeking veterinary help in the event of illness observed in an animal, among other things.

The students, who came in large numbers for the occasion, expressed their commitment to applying the various recommendations and sharing them within their families and their immediate environment.

 

This decisive mobilization to curb the spread of Rift Valley fever in the Kolda region brought together a large crowd in a space open to the public free of charge. This demonstrates the commitment and determination of the authorities to combat the disease and drive it away from Fouladou.