The National Dengue Control Unit has declared a nationwide Dengue Control Week beginning Sunday, June 15, in a bid to intensify efforts to curb the rising spread of dengue across Sri Lanka, Ada Derana reported.

Community Physician Specialist Dr. Prasheela Samaraweera of the National Dengue Control Unit said the decision was taken in response to the increasing number of dengue cases reported island-wide. The week-long campaign will include intensified mosquito control activities, vector-breeding inspections and public-awareness drives.

A special mosquito control programme was conducted across the country on June 8, 9 and 10 to identify and eliminate mosquito breeding sites, Dr. Samaraweera said. An additional mosquito eradication week is being planned at the local government level to strengthen dengue prevention efforts and reduce the risk of further transmission.

Health authorities urged the public to support the initiative by maintaining clean surroundings and eliminating potential mosquito breeding grounds in homes and communities. Discarded containers, blocked drains, unused tyres and water-collecting plant axils are the most commonly cited indoor and outdoor breeding sources for the dengue vector Aedes aegypti.

The June 15 control week comes against a backdrop of rising case counts since the start of the year and follows targeted eradication drives across 74 MOH divisions earlier this month. Health officials have linked the current spread to monsoon-driven water accumulation and to recovery disruptions in vector-management programmes following Cyclone Ditwah.

The National Dengue Control Unit has not published a target reduction figure for the control week, nor an updated case count beyond the running islandwide totals released in earlier control-programme briefings.

Update — June 12 (Colombo District): The Colombo District Dengue Control Committee, meeting on Friday under the patronage of Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya at the Colombo District Secretariat, declared a parallel Special Dengue Prevention Week in Colombo from June 15 to 21. Approximately 39,100 dengue cases have been reported islandwide this year to date, of which 25.8% have been recorded in Colombo District, marking it as a high-risk district, the Office of the Prime Minister said. Health authorities attributed the rising spread to the nature of the circulating virus, insufficient population immunity and recent heavy rainfall, and noted the current outbreak is being reported more frequently from public places — government institutions, private establishments, schools and religious venues — than from residential premises. The Colombo week will include community clean-up campaigns, inspections of high-risk premises by Divisional Secretariats with legal action where necessary, and public-awareness campaigns through the media. School administrations were asked not to involve students below Grade 10 in cleaning programmes and to immediately notify the relevant Medical Officer of Health (MOH) office if a student is diagnosed with dengue. Support is expected from the district’s political leadership, religious leaders of all faiths, public officials, local government institutions, the tri-forces and the police.

Update — June 15 (Prevention Week commences): The islandwide Special Dengue Prevention Week formally began on Sunday and runs through June 20 under a day-by-day cleaning schedule coordinated by the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils and Local Government, Ada Derana and NewsFirst reported. From June 15 to 17 the focus is on public places — cities, drainage systems, commercial complexes, religious sites and bus stations. June 18 covers all educational institutions and surrounding areas, including schools, pre-schools and private tuition classes. Public and private institutions and factory premises are scheduled for June 19, with private residences and surrounding areas cleaned on June 20. Police said special attention will be paid to construction sites during the programme and that authorities may seek court orders to prohibit operations at sites maintained in a manner that threatens public health. Legal action will be taken against those who maintain unhygienic environments that facilitate mosquito breeding.

Update — June 16 (Education Ministry leads June 18 schools programme): The Ministry of Education will lead the June 18 schools day of the Prevention Week, conducting a special dengue control programme in all schools, preschools and educational institutions across Sri Lanka, Ada Derana reported. A special circular issued to provincial education authorities directs institutions to identify and eliminate potential mosquito breeding sites and to organise community-based cleanup campaigns and awareness programmes. The Ministry framed the schools day as a way to bolster dengue prevention within the education sector and to promote student and parent participation in community-wide vector control.

Sources