Man Power Limited to Fight Army Worms

The Head of the medical Team in Bong County, Dr. Gabriel Logan, has alarmed that there are limited man power to fight the army worms in Bong County. Dr. Logan said the worms have spread from one to five districts and from 12 communities to 23.

According to Dr. Logan, the health team was working along with the Ministries of Health and Agriculture, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure that the worms are eradicated, but unfortunately the worms keep spreading from one community to another.

The Chief Medical Officer of Liberia, Dr. Francis Kateh, said the Health Ministry has provided water guard for the people of Bong County to use in their water just in case a worm enters. Dr. Kateh noted that the ministry was in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture because, he said, the case of army worms was more like an agriculture case than a Health case, saying Ministry was making sure that the people of Bong County had a safe drinking water.

Dr. Moses Zinnah, Minister of Agriculture, said the outbreak of the worms started since 2010 when it was treated and driven away. It resurfaced in 2012 and 2014, saying the worm was not something new or strange to the Liberian people. He also urged the people of Bong County to remain calm, especially farmers who are mostly affected by this outbreak. He said the worms were not called “Army Worms”, but just ordinary caterpillars, noting that they grow very big to frighten the people of Bong County by the look and size.

He said the Agriculture Ministry has provided sprays and other chemicals in order for the men on the field to spray the various communities. He also said as the worms were controlled from its first outbreak, they will work along with the Health Ministry, Forestry Development Authority and EPA to ensure that the worms are under control in Bong County.

By Ethel A. Tweh-Edited by George Barpeen