Sri Lankan military drones used to reduce dengue risk
Remotely piloted aircraft are being used to destroy mosquito breeding sites to help combat an outbreak of dengue in the South Asian country
The government of Sri Lanka has deployed military drones in collaboration with health authorities to battle a severe outbreak of dengue, a mosquito-borne virus that has so far led to 57 deaths in the country since the current outbreak began in January.
The air force drones are being used to track stagnating pools of water on rooftops and among debris – which serve as effective breeding grounds for mosquitoes following monsoon rains.
With the support of the drones, nearly 11,000 mosquito breeding sites have been identified and cleared in the past month, according to a report by Sri Lanka’s health ministry.
The current outbreak came in the wake of Cyclone Ditwah, which battered Sri Lanka in November 2025, causing losses of approximately US$4.1 billion, according to estimates from the World Bank.
Alongside the 57 deaths, health authorities have also reported 79,016 cases of dengue across the South Asian island nation since the start of the year, including 21,534 infections in June alone – more than double the figures for May.
The tally could soon rival the figure set by a similar outbreak in 2017, which saw over 100,000 cases reported.
The new outbreak is tied to the more virulent DENV-2 strain in around approximately 75% of cases.
The South American nation of Guyana has launched a drone logistics program to deliver medical supplies to the remote Moraikobai Health Center.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at the Voyageur Group. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.