Alarm over public apathy in fight against dengue

Carelessness is the biggest problem facing public health officials fighting the spread of dengue, with five times as many deaths in the Gampaha area compared to the same period last year.

“The message has still not gone across to people about keeping their environment clean – they all wait till health officials come to their doorstep and show them the breeding places there,” senior epidemiologist Dr. Krishantha Samaraweera said.

Officials have found new mosquito breeding grounds on properties where, just a fortnight earlier, homeowners had been hauled into court and fined over negligence in helping to eradicate dengue, he said.

By this week’s end, 22 people in the Gampaha region were reported to have died of dengue since January 1 among 11,700 cases reported – a fifth of the nation’s total cases, said Dr. Samaraweera, regional epidemiologist of Gampaha health services.

Nationwide, there have been 55,000 cases and 74 deaths in the year to October 18, the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) said. Most cases were from the Colombo, Gampaha, Puttalam, Ratnapura and Kandy districts.

In despair at the poor response by the public to the necessity of cleaning up mosquito breeding grounds, NDCU Director Dr. Anura Jayasekara warned the current rains would bring more cases of illness.

He said a National Cleaning Campaign would be held on November 1 but added that it would be small-scale and only take place in high- risk areas due to the impending presidenial election on November 16.

Dr. Samaraweera said he was alarmed at the dramatic escalation in cases of dengue, pointing out that this year’s sum of 11,700 cases in the Gampaha region so far was far higher than the 6,700 dengue cases over the same period last year.

Negombo – which has 100 cases a week – Wattala, Kelaniya, Attanagalla and Katana are the region’s highest- risk areas, he said. Most potential mosquito breeding grounds are found by officials in schools and in construction sites, he added.

In Puttalam, Halawatha and Arachchikattiwa have been identified as high-risk areas.

In Ratnapura, 5,000 dengue cases have been reported since the start of the year, with the current rains driving up the toll. Embilipitiya is a high- risk area. Health officials pleaded for more care in disposing of garbage.

“There are many poorly maintained unoccupied state buildings in Embilipitiya, which adds to the problem,” the Ratnapura Regional Directorate of Health Services said.