ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka recorded over than 6,000 dengue cases in the first three weeks of January 2023 after a spell of heavy monsoon rain though a drop in cases is likely from February, officials said.
Health officials identified 6,204 dengue patients by January 22, up from 5,793 recorded in the corresponding period last year.
“A rise in cases can be observed in the November-January period with the heavy rain due to the northeast monsoon,” an official from the National Dengue Control Unit told EconomyNext.
Of all reported cases, 46.3 percent were from the Western Province, official reports showed.
Akuressa, Batticaloa, Eravur, Trincomalee, Madampe, Badulla, Eheliyagoda, Kegalle, Kalmunai North and Alayadivembu MOH areas were identified as high-risk areas for dengue during the third week of January by the health officials.
“We are expecting a decline in dengue cases soon. The Western province is always in the top position with the highest number of dengue cases. Apart from that, we are seeing a higher number of cases during this period in areas like Puttalam, Jaffna districts. A certain number of cases have also been recorded in the Kandy district,” the official said.
“Usually the cases peak in December, but they decline by February. This year, too, we are facing this scenario. There is an increase of dengue during the months of November, December and January”.
Due to the economic situation in the country, the Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) in an earlier report said, diesel and pesticides are not being provided by the ministry.
However, rejecting the allegation, the official from the NDCU said the government has provided enough funds for get the necessary pesticides but it is being used according to a scientific method to avoid building a resistance in the dengue mosquito.
“The recommendation is to do the fogging if there is a dengue outbreak or if there are few patients reported from the same locality.
“If you use this pesticide haphazardly, the mosquitos will develop resistance against it,” the official said, adding that there are adequate stocks of the chemical available. (Colombo/ Jan 31/2023)
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A very good decision.
Your article states “Sri Lanka’s tea industry in particular as been lobbying to allow glyphosate use as it is one of the internationally accepted weed killers and alternatives are not permitted under food regulation in some of the export destinations.”. It is patently untrue.
So sad to note that while the rest of the world moves away from obsolete and questionable agrochemicals, Sri Lanka is still mired in archaic beliefs promoted by rather ignorant academic advisors.
Here are some relevant global truths underscored by scientific opinion, global policy formulators.
Countries Which Have banned Glyphosate
Argentina, Australia, Austria Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark,, El Salvador, Fiji, France, Germany, Greece, India,, Italy, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Portugal, Qatar, St. Vincent & the Grenadines Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka (up to 2018 and reintroduced ban in 2021 but resumed application in 2022 due to political pressures), Sweden, Switzerland, , Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom,
United States (28 of the 50 States have already banned Glyphosate to varying extents.
Viet Nam (https://sustainablepulse.com/2019/03/25/vietnam-bans-import-of-glyphosate-herbicides-after-us-cancer-trial-verdict/#.XJkUM1NKiT9)
German cabinet approves legislation to ban glyphosate from 2024
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-farming-lawmaking-idUSKBN2AA1GF
Regional Collectives which banned Glyphosate
Middle East
Oman’s Ministry of Agriculture along with six other Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrain, have banned the use of glyphosate herbicides since 2016, after reviewing IARC’s classification of glyphosate as a ‘probable human carcinogen’.
European Union
Glyphosate is currently approved in the EU until 15 December 2022. Therefore, glyphosate can be used as an active substance in Plant Protection Products (PPPs), until that date, subject to each PPP being authorised by national authorities following an evaluation of its safety.
Monsanto Banned from European Parliament as it unduly influenced studies into the safety of glyphosate
MEPs withdraw parliamentary access after the firm shunned a hearing into allegations that it unduly influenced studies into the safety of glyphosate used in its RoundUp weedkiller. “Monsanto lobbyists have been banned from entering the European parliament after the multinational refused to attend a parliamentary hearing into allegations of regulatory interference. It is the first time MEPs have used new rules to withdraw parliamentary access for firms that ignore a summons to attend parliamentary inquiries or hearings…”https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/28/monsanto-banned-from-european-parliament
https://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/blog/2018/august/monsanto-to-pay-289-2-million-in-landmark-roundu/
https://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/toxic-tort-law/monsanto-roundup-lawsuit/where-is-glyphosate-banned-/
“The EPA has got it wrong on glyphosate. We have study after study after study showing that it in fact, does cause a specific type of cancer called lymphoma. And we see it happening in thousands and thousands of people across the country. Currently, this Administration and this EPA will not take action against Monsanto. We’ve seen the internal documents, the text messages, the emails between senior EPA officials and Monsanto employees. And the simple fact is they know that this EPA will not take adverse action against them. It is a travesty that this truth about it causing cancer and this awareness that we are trying to raise has to be done in the context of litigation. We only exist, these lawsuits only exist, because the EPA has failed the American public for 45 years and Monsanto is allowed to get away with reckless conduct with, essentially, impunity…this agency essentially does not work for the American public but works for industry. The fact that the White House is telling Monsanto, ‘We have your back.’ I mean this just tells us that we are going to have to keep fighting this fight and that we are not going to get any support or help from the public agencies that, ironically, are supposed to be protecting the public health.” – Brent Wisner, Roundup Cancer Attorney
“…Monsanto lobbyists have been banned from entering the European parliament after the multinational refused to attend a parliamentary hearing into allegations of regulatory interference.
It is the first time MEPs have used new rules to withdraw parliamentary access for firms that ignore a summons to attend parliamentary inquiries or hearings.
Monsanto spends between €300,000-€400,000 (£260,000 – £350,000) annually on lobbying in Brussels, according to its self-declaration form in the EU transparency register…”
Why are they saying “NO GLYPHOSATE” after all these years of “yes to Glyphosate”!!!
When I used Round Up on my field experimental sites some 30 years ago, Round UP was the trademark for Glyphosate. Recent Cutting Edge scientific surveys and opinion on safety of Glyphosate have drastically changed !
Will Sri Lanka follow the advice and practice ?