Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, Specialist, Dr Anil Jasinghe has warned that Sri Lanka faces the risk of a major dengue outbreak this year due to the rapid increase in dengue cases reported in recent months.
According to Ada Derana, Dr Jasinghe said dengue cases have shown a significant upward trend since April.
According to the latest figures, around 5,600 dengue cases were reported in April, while the number increased to approximately 8,500 in May.
“Historically, dengue tends to reach epidemic levels every few years. The benchmark year remains 2017. This year’s trend line is continuing to rise, and we need to bring it down,” Dr Jasinghe said.
He stressed the importance of immediate and sustained action to control the spread of the disease.
“This is the time to act. Continuous interventions throughout the year are important. The situation can fluctuate depending on climatic and weather conditions,” he added. (Newswire)
