The need for examples of successful community-based interventions is critical to the continuation of large scale funding of such interventions. Initiation by community leaders of an inner city pest control program in Los Angeles County in the early 1970’s sought and received technical support from the University of California at Los Angeles, and from the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Environmental Health Division, to select and apply an appropriate pesticide of low toxicity for the control of cockroaches in older, inner city, low income, rental residences where long term infestations were common. The intervention trained and utilized community residents as pest control agents, and utilized technical assistance from the University of California and from the Department of Health Services to support and evaluate this innovative public health intervention. When asked to compare this program with that of both private commercial pest control and the Department of Health Services’ pest control program, community residents indicated preference for the community-based intervention’s pest control program. In addition, an independent scientific evaluation conducted by the University of California at Los Angeles, School of Public Health verified that the community intervention was most successful at controlling cockroach infestations.
Learning Objective: To learn how this three decade old community-based public health collaboration has combined community needs with public health and academic interests to yield a successful creative entrepreneurial approach to pest control in an inner city area of Los Angeles County.
See www.geocities.com/sip25prLearning Objectives: To learn how this three decade old community-based public health collaboration has combined community needs with public health and academic interests to yield a successful creative entrepreneurial approach to pest control in an inner city area of Los Angeles County.
Keywords: Community Collaboration, Sustainability
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.