A total of 1,303 cases of dengue have been reported thus far this year, says Health Protection Agency (HPA).

HPA launched a month-long campaign on Monday, for the prevention and control of mosquito-borne illnesses.

At a press conference on Monday, state minister at the health ministry Mohamed Zuhair said that the reported cases of dengue have increased this year, compared to the past three years.

909 of the cases were reported from the outer lying atolls, with most cases reported from Haa Alifu, Raa, Alifu Dhaalu, Laamu and Gaafu Dhaalu atolls.

Zuhair said that their statistics show that most of the reported cases are of children under 10 and adults over 25.

While there has been an increase in Chikungunya cases across the country, he noted that the last time Maldives had such an outbreak was in 2006.

Noting that a few cases have been reported since, he said that 421 Chikungunya cases were reported from January to March this year.

Last month, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) had revealed that the reported cases of dengue and chikungunya have been on the rise in recent days, across the country, “with no sign of decreasing.”