A medical geographical study on epidemic and diseases ecology in Sri Lanka: case study in Colombo district

Abstract

Medical geography is an area which is rapidly developing amongst in the main geography scheme. It is discovered on diseases ecology, diseases diffusion, diseases diffusion patterns, impact of diseases spread, medical services, health care and delivery etc. Health is an important fact of the medical geographical study. Diseases are the main cause for bad health. The purpose of this paper is to identify what the disease ecological factors, which lead to high incidence of epidemic in Colombo District in Sri Lanka. In this study, Dengue had been selected as epidemic according to 2012 data. As a study area, three Medical Officer of Health (MOH) Areas were selected as focused sub research area from Colombo District according to the number of patients as recorded to 2012 data. The methods adopted in the study consists of primary data which were collected from 100 patient by field observations, interviews with patients and participatory mapping techniques that were used for analysis of the factors which influenced in the high effect of the Dengue in Colombo District in Sri Lanka. The study concludes, that Dengue incident marks an increase in rainy seasons. But human traditional factors are affected for epidemic than physical factors. 67% patients were living in apartment and flats in Kolonnawa MOH area. Apart from that, living condition of different ethnic groups, negative attitudes and behaviors of people and building landscape was the outstanding problems among this sample. 71% people had face mosquito attack in their own houses and others outside. Health disasters have been generated by changes of human ecological conditions apart from changes of physical activities.