MOWH Says Public Handling Air Pollution Well  

Aside from the damage to wildlife, agriculture and the livelihoods of Belizeans living in areas nearest to the fires, the compromised air quality poses a real threat to those in the affected areas. Several villages in Toledo and Cayo districts have displayed copious amounts of smoke in the air, rendering it difficult to breathe for some villagers.  John Bodden, Principal Public Health Inspector at the Ministry of Health and Wellness, says that the ministry has taken a proactive approach to assisting people in coping with the smoke and that, for the most part, the communities have been handling the situation well. Here is Bodden with more information.

 

John Bodden, Principal Public Health Inspector, Ministry of Health and Wellness

“As per usually in any emergency, the Ministry of Health would normally activate its E.O.C. to address any situation on the ground. Of course, this one is rather different than any other than week that we had responded to. In terms of the number of cases and we look at the epidemiological week from the start of this year, which is week one through week twenty-two, we noted that at the first, probably first three months, we had a lot of cases in terms of respiratory condition. Comparing to this time period, which is at week twenty-two. We know that the number of cases that we at least would have thought that would have been contributed as a result of the fire is not that significant. It’s not to say that people are not facing challenges, but I think people have been doing things on the personal level to actually combat the situation. For example, the using of face masks and we know that many people still have face masks out there and we have been issuing out face masks as well. But I think with the collaboration of both Red Cross and Ministry, I felt, and we’re in the same cluster, we do the same type of activities. We have managed to reach out to the people that have or that were in need of any assistance. They, at the hospital level, we do have the facility on standby if there’s a need for the treatment of anybody who might be affected seriously, and we continue to monitor the situation and continue to provide advisory to the community as well as hold the best to address the situation.”

 

Reporter

“So you wouldn’t say you’ve had critical cases?”

 

John Bodden

“No, we haven’t seen any at this moment.”

 

Reporter

“How, in your view, has that been avoided given that the smoke is right in everyone’s faces and noses, I’d say.“

 

John Bodden

“Yeah, I think before the escalation of the fire we had been putting on advisories and even with the Department of Environment in the early part of the year, we had some advisories on. And so I think a lot of people know how to address fire and smoke inhalation issue, and they have been taking heed.”