The Secretary to the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Anil Jasinghe, has warned that Sri Lanka faces a risk of dengue cases exceeding the expected limits this year due to the rapid spread of the disease.
Speaking on Ada Derana’s “Big Focus” programme, he said there has been a sharp rise in dengue patients since April.
He noted that a total of 5,600 dengue cases were reported in April, followed by a total of 8,500 cases in May, indicating a significant increase in dengue cases.
Dr. Jasinghe further said: “Generally, dengue has a tendency to reach epidemic proportions every few years. The red value in this case was in 2017. This year, the blue value in the graph is going up. We need to reduce this. Therefore, it is very important to act at this time. It is important to take action throughout the year. This may fluctuate depending on the climatic conditions.”
