News
Dengue on the rise
Dengue cases recorded so far in 2024 have exceeded 34,000 with 16 deaths, according to the Epidemiology Unit.
As of August 11, a total of 34,053 cases had been reported for the current year, with the highest number from the Colombo district – 8,201.
The Western Province has recorded 13,822 cases.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports an eight-fold increase in global dengue incidence between 2000 and 2019. In 2023, there were more than 5 million cases reported from 80 countries, with at least 23 countries reporting dengue outbreaks. That number has more than doubled in 2024 so far, with more than 10.6 million cases reported in North and South America alone. The true number is likely far greater, highlighting the urgency of addressing this public health crisis, WHO said.
“Dengue is a global health threat that’s currently being fuelled by three major drivers. First, a warmer, wetter year means there are more mosquitoes in more places, and these mosquitoes are hard to fight. Second, dengue is cyclical. Large outbreaks tend to occur every few years in areas with mosquitoes and living conditions that make protecting against bites harder. And third, people are travelling more, especially to places where dengue is common. These major drivers have contributed to an alarming rise of dengue cases globally.
“Although dengue is sometimes known as “break-bone fever” because of the severe body aches it can cause, most people who get infected with the dengue virus have no symptoms or only mild illness. Most people who do have dengue symptoms recover within a week.
However, dengue can also be severe and life-threatening, especially in children, older people, and people with underlying health conditions,” WHO said.
A meeting between President Anura Kumara Disanayake and Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, the Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), was held today (21) at the Presidential Secretariat.
During the discussion, Admiral Paparo extended his best wishes to President Disanayake and the new government on their planned initiatives. He also acknowledged Sri Lanka’s continued support in ensuring the security of the Indian Ocean region and maintaining a peaceful maritime environment.
Furthermore, Admiral Paparo reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to strengthening the enduring bilateral ties between the two nations and expressed support for Sri Lanka’s new governmental policies.
President Disanayake conveyed his appreciation for the assistance provided by the United States in enhancing human resources within Sri Lanka’s defence sector. The President also acknowledged the longstanding support extended by the U.S. in this regard.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Roshan Gamage, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung, Lieutenant Colonel Anthony C. Nelson of the U.S. Army, and Senior Foreign Policy Advisor to the United States Indo-Pacific Command David Ranz were also present at the meeting.
SriLankan Airlines has announced that SriLankan Airlines flights UL 503 (Colombo to London Heathrow), scheduled to depart at 12:50 hrs and UL 504 (London Heathrow to Colombo), scheduled to depart at 20:40 hrs today [21 March 2025], have been cancelled.
Passengers requiring assistance are encouraged to contact the SriLankan Airlines Customer Centre at 1979 (within Sri Lanka), +94117 77 1979 (international) or +94744 44 1979 (WhatsApp chat) or reach out to their nearest SriLankan Airlines office or their travel agent.
The United Kingdom’s Heathrow airport has closed until midnight on Friday due to a power outage, throwing the plans of tens of thousands of travellers into chaos.
London’s main airport, which is Europe’s busiest gateway, said on Friday that it had suffered a “significant” power failure due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the facility.
“To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March,” Heathrow airport said in a post on X.
“Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information. We apologise for the inconvenience.”
Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 said the shutdown would affect “at least” 1,351 flights.
“We’re trying to stop passengers from travelling to the airport, and then work with airline partners on flights that are delayed, diverted, or cancelled,” a Heathrow spokesperson told Al Jazeera. “Passengers can reach out to airline partners to work on rebooking.”
Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull, reporting from London, said the roads leading to the airport were blocked, causing “traffic chaos locally”.
“But local traffic disruption is nothing compared to the air traffic disruptions that will be spreading around the world,” he said.
Heathrow is one of the most globally connected airports and regularly ranks among the top five busiest gateways worldwide.
The airport serves more than 200 destinations in nearly 90 different countries and territories, and last year handled nearly 84 million passengers, the largest number on record.
[Aljazeera]
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