Colombo, May 27 — While political parties and independent groups rush to form new administrations following the recent local government elections, Sri Lanka is facing an escalating public health crisis: a sharp rise in Chikungunya and Dengue cases. The enthusiasm for gaining political control has yet to translate into urgent action against mosquito breeding a responsibility that now squarely falls on the newly forming councils.
From May 19 to 24, a nationwide vector control campaign inspected 128,824 premises across 15 districts. The findings were grim. Nearly 31,145 sites were identified as potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes, and active larvae were discovered in 6,077 of them. Legal proceedings have been initiated in 1,470 cases. Alarmingly, 132 out of 257 schools had confirmed breeding sites, and one in every four houses checked contained areas where mosquitoes could multiply.
Among the most affected were public spaces, construction zones, religious institutions, and government-owned properties—many of which had long been neglected. Despite repeated public appeals for citizens to clean their surroundings, several state lands, particularly in Colombo, have become unofficial dumping grounds, filled with stagnant water and garbage, ideal mosquito breeding habitats.
An official from the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) stated that urgent warnings had been issued to local bodies to clear both public and unattended private lands. However, the lack of visible follow-through suggests poor coordination or outright negligence by those responsible.
H. W. Somaratne, Director (Planning) of the Urban Development Authority (UDA), claimed that the UDA maintains a routine system to clean state lands and responds promptly to public complaints via hotline 011-2873640. Yet, he admitted that no such complaints had been received in recent weeks raising questions about either a breakdown in communication or lack of public awareness.
Hospitals are already showing signs of strain. Colombo National Hospital’s Deputy Director, Dr. Rukshan Bellana, confirmed that Dengue and Chikungunya admissions have spiked in recent days. While he attributed some ward congestion to admission policy issues, he emphasized that the surge in mosquito-borne illnesses is undeniable.
Renowned virologist Professor Neelika Malavige added further insight, revealing on social media platform X that whole-genome sequencing identified the virus strain behind the Chikungunya outbreak as the Indian Ocean Lineage (IOL), the same variant seen across South Asia. She confirmed this as the worst Chikungunya resurgence since 2007.
“This is the largest outbreak Sri Lanka has experienced since the end of 2024, after nearly 16 years of low transmission,” Professor Malavige said.
Despite these warnings, several government-controlled plots in densely populated areas remain littered and waterlogged. These are not remote corners of the island, but lands in urban and suburban communities posing a direct threat to the very people public institutions are supposed to protect.
As hospital beds begin to fill and public frustration grows, many now question whether those newly elected to local government will act with the same intensity in eradicating mosquitoes as they did in securing votes. If urgent steps are not taken, Sri Lanka risks not only a public health emergency but a complete breakdown in public trust.
