Rural programme
Dengue Control
A standing programme of household inspection, premises clean-up and public education run jointly by Grama Niladhari officers and the Public Health Inspector.
Dengue transmission in the division peaks after the inter-monsoon rains. The programme works on the principle that removing breeding sites is faster and cheaper than treating cases, so the bulk of the effort goes into weekly inspection of households, schools and construction sites.
How the programme works
Household inspection
Grama Niladhari officers accompany the Public Health Inspector on scheduled rounds, checking water storage, roof gutters, discarded containers and plant pots for larvae.
Notice and re-inspection
Premises where breeding sites are found receive a written notice and are re-inspected within fourteen days. Persistent non-compliance is referred for legal action under the Prevention of Mosquito Breeding Act.
Community clean-up drives
Each division runs a Shramadana clean-up at least once a quarter, and weekly during declared clean-up weeks, with schools and community groups taking part.
School programmes
Awareness sessions are delivered in every school in the division each term, with student health committees carrying out their own campus inspections.
Progress reports are not published openly
Each of the 45 Grama Niladhari divisions files a monthly progress report covering committees, complaints, clean-up drives, awareness programmes, and the dengue cases and deaths recorded in the division.
Because they include health figures at village level, they are visible only to subject officers and the Secretariat.