According to the health authorities, dengue seems to be becoming a bigger health threat, and therefore, greater vigilance and proactive participation is expected from the public to stop the spread of the disease. If dengue continues to spread at the current rate, they warn that it would become a national level threat.

The past few weeks saw a considerable increase in the number of dengue cases in Sri Lanka, with the country recording 22 dengue related fatalities and 33,742 dengue cases so far this year (2023). Medical professionals’ groups such as the Sri Lanka Medical Association, the Government Medical Officers’ Association, and also the Public Health Inspectors’ Union have issued warnings that if left uncontrolled, the situation could even evolve into an epidemic. To make matters worse, the health authorities and researchers claim that a new variant of dengue is spreading in the country, which they warn may result in dengue spreading at an accelerated rate.

Even though many have understood the critical nature of the dengue situation and are advocating for cleaning houses and gardens, the public interest aspect of dengue prevention is still far from the optimum level. As was reported this week, ‘red notice’ warnings have been issued on over 1,300 houses and other properties within the Colombo City alone, for their failure to maintain the cleanliness of those places, thereby creating an environment that is suitable for the breeding of mosquitoes that transmit dengue. According to the Chief Medical Officer of Health of the Public Health Department of the Colombo Municipality, Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni, 18% of the inspected premises within the Colombo City are at risk of breeding those mosquitoes.

All these concerns point to the pressing need for urgent and effective steps to curtail the spread of dengue. However, this time, those efforts should come largely from the public, because, as the above reports also exhibit, the public has fallen behind concerning their responsibility in preventing dengue, and this carelessness is sufficient to put the lives of many at great risk. When it comes to preventing dengue, what the public has to do is an extremely specific and simple task. That is, ensuring that there are no places in their houses or workplaces and in the surrounding areas where water collects and remains uncovered, thus providing a breeding place for the mosquito that transmits dengue. It could be anything from a mere bottle cap or a blocked rain gutter, and this duty is not something that one can fail to do, unless they do not have a genuine interest in keeping their surroundings clean.

This carelessness costs lives, and it could be anyone’s life. Therefore, the public must not underestimate the threat that is dengue, and the factors that allow the breeding and spread of dengue. However, as a considerable share of the public seems to not understand the gravity of their carelessness, the authorities must be stricter when dealing with the public. Instead of a warning, allowing the breeding of dengue should attach a stricter punishment. This punishment should be one that sets an example, or sends a message to others, that the failure to keep their surroundings clean now has a bigger cost. At the same time, in order to support the authorities’ efforts, social activists and influential figures should find innovative ways to tell the public in a more convincing manner that their efforts play a bigger role in preventing dengue than what the authorities do.

In the case of dengue, all it takes to lose a life is a few drops of water for the mosquito to breed. This is not a situation where the blame for the exacerbating dengue situation could be placed on the health authorities, and the public must understand that their carelessness is enough to create such an environment. If every person took their role in this endeavour seriously, pulling through the dengue crisis will be possible.