India Donates 500 Litres of Malathion For Sri Lanka’s Fight Against Dengue

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Government of India has donated 500 litres of technical-grade Malathion insecticide to Sri Lanka to further strengthen ongoing dengue control programmes across the country.

The donation was officially handed over today to Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa by Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha at the Ministry of Health and Mass Media.

The Ministry of Health and Mass Media said the donation will provide critical technical support for dengue prevention efforts while further strengthening the longstanding cooperation between Sri Lanka and India in the public health sector.

The Health Ministry noted that scientific studies have confirmed that dengue-carrying mosquitoes in certain parts of the country have developed resistance to some insecticides currently in use, making insecticide management and the introduction of alternative chemicals an important component of the national dengue control strategy.

Accordingly, the donated stock of technical-grade Malathion is expected to be utilised in targeted fogging operations in high-risk areas to rapidly reduce populations of adult dengue-transmitting mosquitoes.

Malathion is an organophosphate insecticide recommended by the World Health Organization for vector control programmes and has been used internationally for several decades in efforts to combat disease-carrying mosquitoes.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Jayatissa said that more than 88,000 dengue cases have been reported in Sri Lanka since January 1 this year, while over 60 dengue-related deaths have also been recorded.

He noted that the spread of dengue increased significantly during June and July due to adverse weather conditions and said a coordinated national dengue eradication programme involving the Tri-Forces, Sri Lanka Police, state institutions, private sector organisations and the public is currently being implemented under the supervision of the Ministry of Health.

The Minister said that while eliminating mosquito breeding grounds and conducting fogging operations remain key components of dengue prevention efforts, Sri Lanka had experienced a shortage of Malathion in recent months. As a result, a request was made to the Government of India for assistance in securing supplies required for mosquito control operations.

According to the Minister, India responded positively and swiftly to the request, providing the shipment of 500 litres of Malathion through the Indian High Commission within a matter of days.

He expressed gratitude to the Government of India, the Indian Prime Minister, the people of India and Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha for the timely assistance provided to Sri Lanka at a time of urgent public health need.

Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha reaffirmed India's commitment to supporting Sri Lanka's public health sector whenever required and expressed confidence that health cooperation between the two countries would continue to expand in the future.