The Ministry of Health has declared June 30 to July 5 as a Special Dengue Prevention Week, following a sharp rise in dengue cases and fatalities across Sri Lanka.
As of June 25, 27,932 dengue cases and 16 confirmed deaths have been reported in 2025, according to the National Dengue Control Unit. The Western Province has recorded the highest number of cases, followed by the Eastern, Sabaragamuwa, and Southern provinces.
The month of May saw the largest spike, with 6,034 cases, while 4,372 cases have already been reported in the first 25 days of June alone.
To combat the outbreak, the Ministry has initiated a two-phase mosquito eradication campaign:
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Phase 1 (June 30 – July 2): Targeting high-risk districts including Colombo, Ratnapura, Badulla, Matale, Kalmunai, and Kalutara.
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Phase 2 (July 2 – July 5): Extending efforts to Kandy, Gampaha, Kurunegala, Kegalle, Colombo Municipal Council, Jaffna, Batticaloa, and Matara.
Dr. Prashila Samaraweera, representing the National Dengue Control Unit, stated that 1,600 teams—comprising health officials, police personnel, and volunteers—will be deployed daily across the targeted regions.
Meanwhile, Dr. Sudath Samaraweera, Director of the Dengue Control Unit, stressed the critical role of public cooperation in identifying and eliminating mosquito breeding grounds to prevent the disease from reaching epidemic proportions.
As part of the nationwide initiative, a school-based dengue awareness program will also be held on July 9, jointly organized by the Ministries of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Training in collaboration with the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat. The campaign aims to promote environmental responsibility and behavioral change among schoolchildren.
