Proper waste management to decrease dengue

 

Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine Rajitha Senaratne today warned that dengue numbers could worsen in future if proper waste management is not implemented.

Cabinet this week approved a proposal put forward by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, to; ‘have disposal of waste at recognized lands under environmental laws; take judicial action to prevent public protests on waste disposal; to have waste disposed only after grading; provide necessary tools to local government authorities; and increase awareness of the general public with regard to waste’.

Addressing the weekly cabinet briefing the minister stressed that the government was working to control the garbage issue and denied reports that local government was not performing its basic duties since they were dissolved two years ago.

“In 2009, we had one of the worst outbreaks where number of deaths was 1000:1 but in 2015 we had the lowest numbers and there were no local government members,” he said.

“When we had local government members, they did not pay much attention to this. It is true that if there are one or two good members, it would be easier as there are only officials now but statistically you cannot say local government members control the situation better”, Minister Senaratne said.

“Dengue will worsen as flood waters recede further. This happened last year too”, added the Minister.

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