A total of 144,250 premises were inspected across the country during the recently concluded National Mosquito Control Week, according to Dr. Prasheela Samaraweera, Media Spokesperson of the National Dengue Control Unit and Community Medical Specialist at the Ministry of Health.
Speaking at a press conference held today (July 9) to present the week’s outcomes, Dr. Samaraweera stated that 35,495 locations were identified as potential mosquito breeding grounds, while 4,275 premises were found to contain active mosquito larvae.
As part of enforcement measures, 3,812 red notices were issued, and legal action has been initiated against 982 premises that failed to comply with mosquito control regulations.
Among the high-risk areas identified were homes, schools, government institutions, workplaces, factories, and religious sites. Specifically, inspections at 400 schools revealed that 226 had potential breeding sites.
A breakdown of the inspections revealed that:
- 131,789 homes were inspected, with 31,967 found to have possible breeding sites.
- 955 government institutions were examined, with 292 identified as having potential mosquito breeding grounds.
Dr. Samaraweera also reported that 30,228 dengue cases and 16 related deaths have been recorded island-wide so far this year. The highest number of cases have been reported from the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, and Eastern provinces.
The Ministry of Health urges the public to remain vigilant and eliminate stagnant water sources to help curb the spread of dengue, particularly with monsoon rains contributing to mosquito breeding.
