Sri Lanka's dengue outbreak strains hospitals as cases double from last year | TheBriefWire
Sri Lanka's dengue outbreak strains hospitals as cases double from last year
Published 21 June 2026 · health
Sri Lanka is experiencing a sharp rise in dengue fever cases, with more than 45,000 infections recorded so far this year, nearly double the total
Sri Lanka is experiencing a sharp rise in dengue fever cases, with more than 45,000 infections recorded so far this year, nearly double the total for the whole of last year.
Health authorities have warned that public hospitals are struggling to cope, citing shortages of beds, medicines, laboratory capacity and essential equipment. Officials have deployed inspection teams nationwide to eliminate breeding sites of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, but say meaningful behavioural change within communities is essential to curbing the outbreak.
Al Jazeera's Minelle Fernandez reports from Colombo, Sri Lanka. Find us on Check our website Check out our Instagram page Download AJE Mobile App
Published: June 21, 2026 • 1:29 PM IST · Updated: June 21, 2026 • 2:09 PM ISTBy TheBriefWire Editorial Team
Key points· Video
Sri Lanka is experiencing a sharp rise in dengue fever cases, with more than 45,000 infections recorded so far this year, nearly double the total for the whole of last year.
Health authorities have warned that public hospitals are struggling to cope, citing shortages of beds, medicines, laboratory capacity and essential equipment.
Officials have deployed inspection teams nationwide to eliminate breeding sites of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, but say meaningful behavioural change within communities is essential to curbing the outbreak.
Al Jazeera's Minelle Fernandez reports from Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Find us on Check our website Check out our Instagram page Download AJE Mobile App
The BriefWire