GREATER Shepparton Foundation (GSF) has partnered with Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) Wise Well Women and Greater Shepparton City Council to overcome barriers to families taking preventative measures to protect against mosquito-borne disease
Children attending four-year-old kindergarten in 2023 across Greater Shepparton will have access to insect repellent, and in-language information, viewable on the GSF website, to ensure more families in our community have an equal opportunity to keep them informed and safe from mosquito-borne disease.
Over 1,000 kindergarten students will receive the free insect repellent from their centre/service in the coming weeks.
“Following the floods we have seen an increase in mosquito activity and understanding the long-term impacts of mosquito-borne disease, and the easy ways we can prevent bites is the key to staying safe,” said GSF executive officer Amanda McCulloch.
“Those from our Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) communities, who face language and cultural barriers may have not previously had access to this prevention and information like their English-speaking counterparts, so it important this education extends to those cohorts on our community to keep them safe.”
Mosquito-borne diseases spread by mosquitos include Ross River virus, Barmah Forest Virus, Murray Valley Encephalitis (MVE) and Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus.
To view in-language information and videos visit www.greatershepparton.foundation/mosquito-borne-disease-prevention.
