Dengue: Prevention Cannot Be an Afterthought

Dengue cases are rising by the day. Hospitals are struggling to cope with the influx of patients, and deaths are mounting alarmingly. Once again, Sri Lanka appears to be reacting to a crisis rather than preventing it.

We have a long history of acting only after disaster strikes. The Easter Sunday attacks exposed the consequences of ignoring intelligence warnings. Likewise, repeated warnings about the risks associated with adverse weather events have too often gone unheeded. The current dengue situation raises a similar question: why were stronger preventive measures not taken before the monsoon, when the risk of mosquito breeding was entirely predictable?

The health authorities have long known that dengue transmission increases during the rainy season. Eliminating mosquito breeding sites and conducting intensive public awareness and vector-control campaigns should have begun well in advance—not after hospitals became overcrowded. The old saying, “Prevention is better than cure,” seems to have been forgotten.

For decades, Sri Lankans have heard about innovative mosquito-control methods, including approaches pioneered in Cuba and Australia. Yet the public has seen little evidence of sustained implementation or measurable results. Promising ideas alone are not enough; they must be backed by consistent action, transparency, and accountability.

The fight against dengue cannot be a seasonal exercise launched only after deaths begin to rise. It must be a year-round national priority involving health authorities, local government institutions, and the public. Waiting for an outbreak before taking action is neither responsible nor acceptable.

Sri Lanka deserves a proactive dengue control strategy—not another cycle of preventable illness, overcrowded hospitals, and avoidable loss of life.

Upali Weerasinghe