With relentless rainfall over the past few weeks, health authorities have raised alarms over an escalating number of dengue cases in Sri Lanka. The Director of the National Dengue Control Unit, Dr. Sudath Samaraweera, announced that preventive measures have been intensified in 20 high-risk Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas.
“We have scaled up efforts in regions identified as high-risk,” Dr. Samaraweera said, urging the public to maintain their surroundings clean and eradicate potential mosquito breeding spots to help prevent dengue.
As of September 1st, Sri Lanka had reported 36,728 dengue cases for the year. The Colombo district has the largest number of cases (9,012). The Western Province, which encompasses Colombo, had the most cases, with 15,208 total. In August alone, 3,897 new infections occurred, indicating a continuous rising trend.
Health experts underline the need of community participation in decreasing the danger of future transmission, particularly during the rainy season.