• NDCU urges patients to seek medical care early and avoid home remedies

The National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) has urged the public to seek medical advice and treatment as soon as dengue symptoms appear, after revealing that women account for the majority of dengue-related deaths reported this year (2026).

Acting Director of the NDCU Dr Kapila Kannangara said that 37 of the 53 dengue deaths recorded so far this year involved women.

He attributed the higher number of female fatalities to the tendency of many women to continue with household responsibilities instead of taking adequate rest after falling ill.

Dr Kannangara said that women often ignore the severity of their symptoms because of domestic obligations, delaying medical treatment until their condition becomes critical.

He warned that delayed hospital admission could significantly increase the risk of death.

The Acting Director also cautioned against relying on traditional remedies or home treatments for dengue, describing the practice as highly dangerous.

Although traditional medicine may be beneficial for certain illnesses, he said that dengue patients should seek immediate medical treatment instead of experimenting with herbal remedies.

Dr Kannangara said that hospitals continue to receive patients whose conditions have deteriorated after attempting home remedies, making recovery far more difficult.

He warned that delaying treatment could lead to severe complications, including liver and kidney failure, and in some cases even modern medical treatment may not be able to reverse the damage.

Although the spread of dengue has shown signs of slowing, Dr Kannangara stressed that the disease remains at a dangerous level and special dengue control programmes will continue across the country.

He advised anyone experiencing symptoms to consult a qualified medical practitioner within two days and reminded the public that maintaining clean surroundings remains everyone's responsibility in preventing dengue.

Dr Kannangara also advised people with fever to take only paracetamol to reduce the fever and avoid self-medicating with herbal preparations such as papaya leaf juice, boiled young jackfruit extracts or other traditional concoctions until they have received proper medical advice.