Media statement

Rodent Hazard Awareness Campaign on World Health Day 2010

A rodent hazard awareness campaign in Bertrams, Johannesburg will be amongst several events held to mark World Health Day (7th April) 2010. The event is being organized by the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Urban Health, which is a partnership of the City of Johannesburg, the South African Medical Research Council (MRC), the University of Johannesburg and the University of the Witwatersrand.

The campaign responds to results from the Health Environment and Development (HEAD) study, which revealed that large proportions of households in most of the study sites (Bertrams, Riverlea, Braamfischerville and Hospital Hill) are experiencing problems with rodent infestations.

The aim of the campaign is to educate communities about the diseases associated with rodents as well to encourage people to use sustainable and environmentally friendly measures to avoid rodent infestations.

In recent years rodents have been perceived to be a major challenge in parts of Johannesburg. Amongst the detrimental outcomes of rodent infestations are damage to property, eating and spoiling food reserves, and more rarely, biting of people.

However, simple domestic hygiene and waste management practices can play a major role in preventing rodent infestations. For example, keeping food and water in covered containers, washing dishes immediately after use, keeping rubbish in closed containers, fixing of dripping taps and leaking roofs as soon as possible and reducing the amount of garden refuse and rubble in yards, all play an important role in minimizing rodent infestations.

On World Health Day, Environmental Health Practitioners with Pest Control Operators will conduct door-to-door visits to educate household members and where necessary, to enforce Public Health By-Laws.  

Property owners have a duty to maintain their premises in a clean and tidy condition at all times and also to report any conditions that may promote a public health hazard.

Accumulations of refuse/rodent infestations should be reported to the People’s Centre on (011) 375 5555, who will register the complaint and refer it to the Health Department for follow up/inspection then further action.