Dengue eradication program makes headway

by Ananda KANNANGARA

The ongoing national dengue eradication program conducted by the Health Department and the Presidential Task Force has helped identify over 24,000 home gardens as potential mosquito breeding grounds.

According to a spokesman for the Health Department over 80,000 home gardens had been inspected during the past five days and nearly 48,000 house owners warned.

Over 7,948 dengue cases had been reported during the first six months of this year and 69 people died due to dengue.

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena told the Sunday Observer that it was the duty of public and private sector officials, service personnel, Non Governmental organisations, the public and school children to extend their maximum co-operation to the ongoing program.

Rather than wait for public officials to inspect home gardens, people should destroy overgrown shrubs, discarded tyres, tins, unused clay pots, empty bottles, polythene bags and plastic cans which are the main dengue breeding grounds, he said.