Education authorities have been instructed to run dengue control programmes at every school before the new school term starts, the National Dengue Control Unit said.
The unit warned that intermittent rainfall in the south-western parts of the country could drive up mosquito breeding, and urged the public to pay particular attention to clearing their own surroundings and premises.
The numbers behind the instruction
Sri Lanka has recorded 95,174 dengue cases so far in 2026 and 72 dengue-related deaths. A further 9,838 cases were reported over the past 30 days.
Those figures match the National Dengue Control Unit’s Sunday release, which this desk has been tracking since August 24, when the year’s total stood at 94,037. The caseload passed 95,000 on August 29 and the death toll has held at 72 for several days, so the schools instruction comes as the outbreak’s growth slows rather than at a peak.
Why timing matters
School premises are a recurring focus of dengue control because closed buildings accumulate standing water in gutters, roof valleys, discarded containers and unused sanitary fittings over a vacation — exactly the breeding conditions the unit is warning about as showers continue. The Department of Meteorology forecast further showers across the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces on Monday, the same south-western belt the unit named.
NewsFirst did not report the date the new term begins, whether the instruction was issued to principals directly or through provincial education authorities, or whether schools must certify that inspections were completed. No deadline for the programmes was given.
