World Health Day

Today and every April 7th is World Health Day sponsored by United Nation's World Health Organization (WHO). It is an international event to emphasize and work on important health issues or problems. Each year it focuses on a different health theme.

World Health Day focuses on awareness, education programs, fund raising activities and attempts to resolve problems related to the health issue for the year. This year it’s diseases spread by flying insects especially mosquitoes. “Small bite, big threat” is an issue especially in tropical climates and people who visit them. There are about a dozen viral infections that enter the body thru mosquito bites including malaria, encephalitis and dengue. Anybody who develops a fever within two weeks of being in tropical or subtropical area should be tested before the virus becomes severe.

There are a number of natural ways you can protect your home and yourself against mosquitoes.

Neem oil from the neem tree of India, Africa and Southeast Asia. It’s been used for skin care for thousands of years but it’s also a natural insect repellent. Neem oil with coconut oil in equal parts will protect your body from mosquitoes for up to 8 hours.

Eucalyptus and lemon oil is recommended by the Center for Diseases Control as one of the most effective insect repellents. Mix lemon oil and eucalyptus oil in equal amounts and spread it on your body. It’s a natural repellent without the risks of chemicals.

Camphor wood balls or camphor extract is the longest-lasting mosquito repellent especially for enclosed rooms.

Garlic – it has a strong odor and that’s what keeps mosquitoes away may smell strong to you. The recommendation is that you boil a few cloves of garlic and spray it around the house or areas outside that are a problem. You could even spray some on yourself.

Mint leaves and mint extract. Ways to use it are to fill a room with the scent using a vaporizer, apply mint oil to your body or plant mint shrubs in your garden. Even mint-flavored mouthwash in a spray bottle will do the trick.

An old natural stand-by as dependable as mint is citronella. Using a citronella candle or citronella extract in a vaporizer is effective at keeping mosquitoes away.

Lavender – it’s a strong smelling flower – we like the smell but mosquitoes don’t. Lavender oil is a natural room freshener while at the same time keeping flying pests away.

SOURCE: www.who.int