Gwanak-gu, led by District Mayor Park Jun-hee, is significantly stepping up mosquito control and public awareness efforts across all 21 neighborhoods in line with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's nationwide malaria advisory, aiming to cut off transmission vectors and prevent community spread.
The district is running a tightly integrated malaria surveillance system focused on early detection of asymptomatic carriers and confirmed cases. Alongside this, it has launched preemptive measures to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds and is actively promoting bite-prevention guidelines to residents and visitors.
The district health center operates a standing rapid-response disinfection unit for year-round mosquito control. The unit conducts eco-friendly spray disinfection at least once a week, targeting major breeding sites and high-risk areas. A total of 57 pieces of equipment are in operation, including four mosquito traps and digital mosquito monitors as well as repellent dispensers.
Resident-led community surveillance and outreach are also in full swing. Since May, the district has organized a 42-member "Mosquito Control Volunteer Brigade" — two volunteers per neighborhood across all 21 neighborhoods — which will operate through October. Teams conduct regular field inspections at least once a month, combing through mosquito complaint hotspots and stagnant-water breeding sites. When volunteers identify a high-density mosquito area, they immediately coordinate with the health center's rapid-response unit to ensure swift disinfection, while also carrying out frontline malaria prevention outreach to local residents.
A district official urged residents to strictly follow everyday precautions during outdoor activities, including wearing light-colored long-sleeved shirts and long pants, using insect repellent, and maintaining window screens and mosquito nets. The official also called on anyone who develops fever, chills or headaches after nighttime activities in malaria-endemic areas to visit a nearby public health center or medical facility promptly for early testing.
"Building a tight prevention network and taking airtight preemptive action is paramount to protecting residents from malaria and other vector-borne diseases this summer," District Mayor Park said. "We will keep our surveillance system running at all times to safeguard residents' daily lives, further strengthen community-based cooperative prevention efforts, and do our utmost to make Gwanak-gu a safe place where every resident can enjoy a healthy, worry-free summer."
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