The United States Embassy in Sri Lanka has launched a programme to strengthen Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health and National Dengue Control Unit in preventing, detecting, and responding to the ongoing dengue outbreak.
According to an official embassy statement, the initiative aims to "support Sri Lanka’s nationwide dengue response, complementing mosquito breeding site eradication efforts, public awareness campaigns, and predictive prevention methodology."
Sri Lanka has recorded over 80,000 dengue cases so far this year, with 61 reported deaths resulting from the epidemic.
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The initiative is funded through the U.S. Department of War’s Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid (OHDACA) programme.
It brings together experts from U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) and the U.S. Army’s 18th Theater Medical Command alongside counterparts from the Sri Lanka Ministry of Health to share American expertise in preventive medicine, disease surveillance, entomology, and integrated vector management.
Health authorities identified 7,385 new dengue cases last week alone, with 52.4% of cases recorded in the Colombo District.
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