Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Dr. Rajitha Senaratne in response to a question for oral answer confirmed the Parliament, dengue will also follow the fate of malaria, which is no longer reported in Sri Lanka.

“It is normal to see an increase of dengue cases during the rainy season. Use of bio-control mechanism to eradicate dengue is unsuccessful. However, France succeeded inventing a vaccine for dengue prevention. Brazil and Philippines have showed success by using this new vaccine, which will be imported to Sri Lanka shortly,” he said.

According to Minister Senaratne, the Government has succeeded in its preventive campaign, which includes the series of mosquito control programs conducted in the Western province, declaration of the annual mosquito control week from 29th March to 4th April, awareness programs at 349 MOH divisions, establishing committees at village level and district level under the political leadership and with the participation of Presidential Task Force, recruiting 1,500 mosquito control assistance to inspect houses and make awareness at MOH office level, and making the community aware through television advertisements, hand bills, tele-dramas and posters. AH