Health Ministry declares Dengue eradication month

The Presidential Anti Dengue Task Force yesterday declared the month beginning from June 25th to July 25th as the National Dengue Eradication Month as the mosquito-borne disease is fast spreading in the country. The task force took the decision to declare a moth of dengue prevention activities at an emergency meeting held.

The alarming rise in the number of dengue patients this year in comparison to last year has prompted the Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena to call the emergency Task Force meeting.  

At the meeting the Minister pointing out that only 23 out of 420 public institutes have setup dengue eradication committees in their relevant places, urged all public and private sector institutes, schools and the public to conduct dengue eradication programs.  Secretary of the Ministry of Media W.B Ganegala has requested media institutions to allow more air time to educate the public on dengue prevention.  According to the Epidemiology Unit by the end of the first week in June 2012 there have been 12,165 dengue cases and 65 deaths from the disease.