Africa-Press – Cape verde. The Minister of Health expressed concern this Wednesday, the 17th, about the stagnant waters in Sal Rei and warned of the risk of reintroducing diseases such as malaria, dengue, and Zika, promising support to combat the situation.
Jorge Figueiredo, who traveled to Boa Vista Island for the inauguration of the Sal Rei Reproductive Health Center, emphasized that the accumulation of water cannot be seen as a “necessary evil,” but rather a serious risk that could lead to the reintroduction of diseases such as malaria, dengue, and Zika.
Referring to the fact that tourism is one of the country’s main pillars of development, the governor noted that, according to statistics, Africa is the continent that records over 90% of malaria cases.
Jorge Figueiredo emphasized the responsibility of everyone—government, city halls, associations, and especially citizens—in prevention, urging everyone to avoid accumulating water in tires and trash cans.
The governor, who was previously mayor of Sal, “an island similar to Boa Vista,” gave the example of a deep excavation in a lower area of Santa Maria, where a powerful pump was installed to drain rainwater.
The minister demonstrated his willingness to support both the search for funding and immediate solutions, such as filling these areas that accumulate water with “soil and stones.”
While Mayor Cláudio Mendonça agrees with the urgency of the situation, the councilor disagrees on this short-term solution, highlighting the challenge of transforming concerns into concrete actions.
“Support is always welcome, from anyone. But in Boa Vista, there is no drainage system. It’s never been done,” Mendonça stated.
The mayor explained that, contrary to what one might think, the solution is not simple and requires a “huge investment” in the construction of drainage infrastructure, landfill, and elevation of the land.
The mayor cited as an example the stretch of road built by the city government to reach the new Reproductive Health Center, which cost more than R$15,000, to illustrate the scale of the costs.
He argued that a definitive solution requires coordinated action between the city government and the state, and that drainage and sewage network projects, although distinct, need to be carefully integrated to avoid future problems.
Cláudio Mendonça also made a direct appeal to landowners, asking them to clean their land or build on it, as these lots become sites for water accumulation.
The president emphasized that Boa Vista faces a fundamental problem: the lack of a stormwater drainage system, which has worsened with population growth and urban expansion.
Solving this problem, according to Mendonça, requires a “huge investment” in infrastructure and a joint effort to address standing water, which poses a real risk to the population.
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