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Sri Lanka steps up dengue prevention

A special police task force has been deployed to clear potential dengue breeding grounds in Colombo. The third week of August (2010) has been declared Dengue Prevention Week Courtesy of the Sri Lankan Police
    COLOMBO
    Sri Lanka has declared the third week of August National Dengue Prevention Week, as dengue cases spike during the months-long monsoon season. There have been 21,486 cases nationwide, and 158 deaths up till 20 July.

    The Ministry of Health’s epidemiology unit expects numbers to rise in the coming weeks due to continuing rains. Dengue is spreading across Sri Lanka at alarming rates, Health Ministry spokesman W. M. D. Wanninayake said, noting that the government is taking steps to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds.

    Surveys in the provinces found that “more than 50 percent of households had turned into perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes due to the lack of cleanliness,” local media quoted Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena as saying.

    The number of cases this year is on a par with the 22,256 cases up till the end of July 2009, said Supriya Warusavithana of the World Health Organization. The government has reported 2,669 cases in July so far, compared to 3,310 in June and 1,910 in May. 

    IRIN reports on dengue fever.

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    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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