"Many sites with dengue mosquito larvae and potential breeding places were found."
Sri Lanka Launches Three-Day Nationwide Dengue Control Drive
Colombo, Sri Lanka – On Monday, the Ministry of Health and Mass Media initiated a three-day national dengue mosquito control program across 14 districts. The operation is scheduled to run through Wednesday.
Day One: Extensive Inspections
On the first day of the campaign, inspection teams visited over 70,000 premises, including homes, schools, and government institutions. The primary objective was to identify and eliminate mosquito breeding sites.
Teams were composed of officials from Medical Officer of Health offices, public health inspectors, dengue control assistants, and other health workers. They operated alongside personnel from the armed forces, police, state institutions, non-governmental organizations, community-based groups, and village committees.
Enforcement and Legal Action
The ministry reported that numerous sites containing dengue mosquito larvae and potential breeding grounds were discovered. Legal action will be taken against premises where breeding sites were identified.
The Broader Context
So far this year, Sri Lanka has reported 36,168 dengue cases and 20 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health. This ongoing surge underscores the urgency of the current control program.