A three-day special national dengue control programme launched by the Ministry of Health and Mass Media commenced today (08) across 72 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) divisions in 14 districts.

The programme is scheduled to continue until June 10, with authorities intensifying efforts to identify and eliminate mosquito breeding sites in high-risk areas.

Reviewing the progress of the first day’s operations at the Disaster Management Unit of the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, the Acting Director of the National Dengue Control Unit, Dr. Kapila Kannangara, stated that the programme had recorded a highly successful start.

The initiative is being carried out with the participation of the Tri-Forces, Police, government institutions, MOH offices, non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, village committees, Public Health Inspectors, Medical Officers of Health, dengue assistants and other healthcare personnel.

Teams conducted door-to-door inspections of residential, educational and institutional premises to identify potential dengue mosquito breeding grounds.

According to officials, more than 70,000 premises were inspected on the first day alone, leading to the detection of a significant number of locations containing mosquito larvae and conditions conducive to dengue mosquito breeding.

Authorities also reported that legal action had been initiated against several institutions and premises where mosquito larvae were found during inspections.