The Ministry of Health has declared May a special month for mosquito eradication as there is a risk of Dengue and Chikungunya diseases increasing with the onset of the Southwest monsoon, Director of the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU), Specialist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera said.
He said, “We hope that everyone will pay attention and take action to eliminate mosquito breeding sites, especially in Government and private institutions, schools, construction sites, and religious places, at least once a week.”
Western Province Governor Hanif Yusoof has also launched a dedicated task force titled “War Against Dengue” to combat the alarming rise in Dengue and Chikungunya virus infections across the province.
According to health officials, the Western Province now accounts for 50 percent of all Dengue patients in the country. Of the 17,810 Dengue cases reported island-wide, 8,097 are from the Western Province. Dengue and Chikungunya are transmitted by the same species of mosquito – Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus – which are most active during the day. These mosquitoes breed in clean, stagnant water, and Aedes aegypti is known to feed indoors and outdoors.
Western Province Director of Health Services Dammika Jayalath told a press conference at the Western Provincial Council to raise public awareness, that the situation had reached alarming proportions. She said that a person can be co-infected with Dengue and Chikungunya simultaneously. “This is the critical danger this poses,” she said.
“Treatment suitable for Chikungunya could be deadly if the patient is also suffering from Dengue,” she said. “We are carrying out inspections across the province, and legal action will be taken if mosquito breeding sites are found on private premises,” she said.
Health officials in Colombo have described the current outbreak as unprecedented, particularly as monsoonal rains typically lead to a seasonal increase in mosquito-borne diseases. However, this year’s spike has exceeded the usual levels.
Chief Medical Officer of the Colombo Municipal Council’s Public Health Department, Dr. Geethika Rathnawardena said that Dengue cases were especially high in areas such as Wellawatte, Bambalapitiya, Kirulapone, Narahenpita, Borella, and Cinnamon Gardens during the first quarter of 2025.
She said that the Council had inspected nearly 70,000 homes and issued 1,724 notices for having mosquito breeding grounds.
Western Province Acting Director of Education, P.R. Dewabandu, voiced concern over the risk to schoolchildren. He said that Aedes mosquitoes are most active during school hours. With 1,340 schools and 3,600 pre-schools in the Province and over 900,000 children attending, the education authorities have issued circulars mandating daily cleanliness and mosquito control at all educational institutions.
Western Provincial Council Chairman L.A. Kaluaracchi said that the Council’s 24-hour operations centre, “Tell the Governor”, is open for public complaints, including those related to mosquito control and vector-borne disease outbreaks.
The public can contact the unit on 011 2092720 or 011 2092721 or send a fax to 011 2092705. (CW)
