A special discussion was held at the Health Ministry under Deputy Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Hansaka Wijemuni, presided over by the Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa to check the number of increasing dengue and chikungunya cases in the country.
All possible measures to prevent and control dengue and chikungunya were discussed in detail at the meeting with representatives from all sections of the Epidemiology Division and the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) including NDCU Director, Specialist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera, Chief Epidemiologist Hasitha Thisera, and a group of specialists, doctors and officials.
Close attention was paid to the situation reported in recent days at the Ratnapura Hospital and in risk-prone districts. According to the National Dengue Control Unit 18,749 dengue patients have been reported since the beginning of this year as there would be an increase in the number of dengue cases in the coming days due to intermittent rains.
Gampaha, Kalutara, Matara, Galle, Matale, Batticaloa, Ratnapura, Trincomalee and Kandy have been identified as high-risk districts, and May has been designated as a special mosquito control month, the NDCU spokesman said.
The spokesman said that a trend of chikungunya cases has been observed in various parts of the country in the past few months, and added that it is also spread by the same vectors of dengue – Aedes aegypti and Aedes albogictus.
Attention was paid to the basic methodology needed to prepare short-term and long-term plans to control the spread of dengue and chikungunya, and many decisions were also taken on educating the public on preventive measures.
Dr. Wijemuni has instructed officials to pay attention in implementing plans swiftly. The spokesman said that since there is a risk of these mosquitoes breeding in any environment, at least 30 minutes a week should be spent to clean homes and gardens, and that people should wear clothing covering most of the body and use approved mosquito repellents to avoid mosquito bites in the mornings and evenings.
He said that a person should seek immediate medical attention if they experience high fever accompanied by headache, muscle and joint pain, nausea and vomiting, red spots on the skin, and bleeding, and that they should only take Paracetamol to control the fever.
