Health authorities have identified nearly 4,000 dengue mosquito breeding sites during the first two days of a nationwide mosquito control programme launched in response to the rising dengue threat across the country.
The three-day special dengue prevention campaign, initiated by the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, began on Monday (08) in 74 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) divisions across 14 districts and concludes on Wednesday (10).
According to a progress report issued by the National Dengue Control Unit, 31,155 premises, including homes, schools and factories, were inspected on Tuesday (09) alone.
Of those inspected, 8,069 premises were identified as potential mosquito breeding sites, while dengue mosquito larvae were detected in 1,864 locations.
Authorities issued 1,079 notices to individuals responsible for maintaining mosquito breeding environments and initiated legal action against 711 persons.
The inspections found that more than half of the factories (61%), construction sites (55.4%) and religious institutions (51.5%) checked were conducive to mosquito breeding. Schools and government institutions also recorded high-risk levels, with 44.7% and 40.4% respectively identified as potential breeding grounds.
Over the first two days of the operation, health officials inspected a total of 62,351 premises, of which 16,190 were found to pose a risk for mosquito breeding, accounting for 26% of all locations inspected.
The majority of inspections were carried out at residential properties. Of the 57,008 homes inspected during the two-day period, 14,291 were found to contain mosquito breeding sites.
Dengue larvae were detected in 3,948 locations overall, with the highest proportion recorded at residential premises (58%) and construction sites (22.4%).
Authorities also issued 2,244 notices and initiated legal action against 1,500 individuals for failing to comply with dengue prevention regulations, with the highest number of violations reported from factories and construction sites.
The Ministry of Health and Mass Media urged the public to take responsibility for maintaining clean surroundings and eliminating mosquito breeding sites, while also calling for continued public support for the national dengue eradication programme. (Newswire)