Sri Lanka to begin clean-up to battle dengue

Colombo, June 27: Sri Lanka on Tuesday said it will launch a major clean-up of cities around the country as the number of people affected by dengue continues to rise.

The Health Ministry said steps have been taken to control the spread of dengue, reports Xinhua news agency.

It said over 70,000 people have been affected by dengue and of them 25 per cent are below the age of 19.

"It has been decided to deploy 100 Civil Defence Force members at several hospitals to assist in dealing with patients with dengue," it said.

Floods and a garbage crisis have led to the rise of dengue mosquitoes around the country.