A special five‑day national dengue eradication programme covering 62 Medical Officer of Health divisions will be launched from September 14 to 19, according to Director of the National Dengue Eradication Programme Dr. Kapila Kannangara.
He said the initiative is being introduced to control the possible spread of dengue with the onset of the northeast monsoon rains.
The programme will target high‑risk areas in the Northern, Eastern, North Central, Western, Southern, Central, Sabaragamuwa, and Uva provinces.
According to the latest data from the National Dengue Control Unit, Sri Lanka has reported 96,482 dengue cases so far in 2026, with 73 deaths and a case fatality rate of 0.076 percent.
The Western Province accounts for more than half of all cases, recording 50,395, with Gampaha (20,527) and Colombo (19,074) among the highest‑risk districts.
Other provinces with significant case loads include the Southern Province with 13,740 cases, the Central Province with 8,093, and Sabaragamuwa with 5,590.
Monthly data shows a sharp rise in mid‑year, with 29,964 cases in July and 21,533 in June, compared to 7,866 in January and 5,601 in March. (Newswire)
