The first global pest awareness day designed to raise the status of the pest management industry amongst the general public will be held on 6 June 2017. The date was confirmed by Ms Xiao Yun Huang, president of the Asia Pacific Pest Management Association, FAOPMA and director of the Chinese Pest Management Association in a presentation at the Italian Disinfestando Pest 2017 event held in Rimini, last week (7 and 8 March 2017).
| In her presentation Ms Xiao Yun Huang explained how the idea had first been suggested by the Chinese Association in 2015. Since then it has gained the support of the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Federation of Asian & Oceania Pest Managements Association (FAOPMA), the National Pest Management Association in the USA (NPMA) and the Confederation of European Pest Management Associations (CEPA). The goal is to create awareness among citizens all over the world of the way professional pest managers provide protection for their food, their homes, their families and the environment in which they live. She urged pest professionals to get behind the idea, which it is hope will become an annual event, and to set up local events explaining pest management to the public. In a video supporting the initiative, Andy Ransom CEO of Rentokil Initial and Tom Luczynski Vice President of global development and franchising for Orkin both spoke about their commitment to the initiative. |
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| The video brought home the need for public health pest control by comparing some fascinating statistics. In the opening sequence the audience is asked what do you think is the world’s deadliest creature? Sharks we are told kill 12 people a year, grizzly bears 90 people, crocodiles 800, hippos 29,000 people, snakes 90,000 people but the tiny mosquito kills two million people.
These pests may not pose much of a threat here in the UK but that doesn’t make our industry any less important when it comes to protecting the public from the disease associated with common UK pests such as rats, mice and cockroaches so get your thinking caps on. How can you explain the benefits of pest management to people in your locality in an entertaining and exciting way?
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