The National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) of the Health Ministry has issued red notices to 18 schools across the country as part of a nationwide special mosquito control programme recently carried out to curb the rising threat of dengue.
Speaking at a media briefing organized by the Sri Lanka Medical Association, Dr. Anoja Dheerasinghe, Consultant Community Physician at the NDCU, revealed that inspections were carried out at 257 schools, of which 131—amounting to 51%—were found to have mosquito breeding sites. Alarmingly, 37 schools (14.4%) were found to have active mosquito larvae.
The programme, conducted from May 19 to 24, covered 95 health medical officer divisions across 15 districts. It was implemented jointly by the Ministry of Health and Mass Media in collaboration with the NDCU, focusing on identifying and eliminating potential dengue breeding sites, particularly in high-risk areas such as school premises. The issuance of red notices signifies the urgent need for these schools to implement corrective measures to mitigate further dengue risks.
