BACKGROUND Acute paracetamol poisoning is a rapidly increasing problem in Sri Lanka. The antidotes are expensive and yet no health economic evaluation has been done on the therapy for acute paracetamol poisoning in the developing world. The aim of this study is to determine the cost effectiveness of using N-acetylcysteine over methionine in the management of acute paracetamol poisoning in Sri L...

BACKGROUND Air pollution is increasingly documented as a threat to public health in most developing countries. Evaluation of current air quality levels, regulatory standards and scientific literature on outdoor and indoor air pollution, and health effects are important to identify the burden, develop and implement interventions and to fill knowledge gaps in Sri Lanka. METHODS PUBMED and Medli...

BACKGROUND There is paucity of measures to conduct epidemiological studies related to disasters in Sri Lanka. This study validates a Sinhalese translation of the Impact of Event Scale- 8 items version (IES-8) for use in Sri Lanka. METHODS This cross-sectional validation study was conducted in the densely populated rural area of Tangalle in the Southern province of Sri Lanka. The English versi...

Introduction Abortion is legally permitted in Sri Lanka, only if it is performed to save the mother’s life. However, it is estimated that a large number of induced abortions take place in Sri Lanka. Knowledge and attitudes towards induced abortion in the society are key issues influencing the policy response towards changes in the law. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes of a...

BACKGROUND Road traffic crashes (RTCs) are a leading cause of death. In low and middle income countries (LMIC) data to conduct hotspot analyses and safety audits are usually incomplete, poor quality, and not computerized. Police data are often limited, but there are no alternative gold standards. This project evaluates high road utilizer surveys as an alternative to police data to identify RTC ...

Numerous studies have shown growing information indicating the contribution of food to the dietary exposure of arsenic (As) through consumption of different food items in many different regions over the world. However, few review papers with regard to As in Sri Lankan foods are available in databases. Thus, a critical review and assessment of a number of local studies on total As concentrations...

In recent decades, the proportion of people aged 60 years and above has increased rapidly in Sri Lanka. With this unprecedented increase, Sri Lanka faces great challenges in meeting the health and social needs of the older people. There is a paucity of information related to quality of life (QOL) and related factors among elderly in Sri Lanka. Therefore, this study planned to examine quality of...

After eliminating local malaria transmission and being certified as a malaria-free country, Sri Lanka is facing the challenge of imported malaria. At the same time, the country has the unique opportunity to be a case study for other countries in a similar situation by approaching this issue systematically, guided by evidence. This study demonstrates the importance of developing a mechanism to d...

The following five species of Medetera are described as new from Sri Lanka: M. peradeniya, M. kandyensis, M. colombensis, M. nuwarensis, M. subgrisescens. A key is provided to males of the ten known Sri Lankan species of Medetera.

The history of disease and health in colonial Sri Lanka has been largely ignored. Historians of colonial economic and social policies in that country have produced a deluge of materials without mentioning the impact of colonial labour policy on the health of the indigenous people.' Meanwhile, even those who have written on the history of medicine in Sri Lanka have not fully accounted for coloni...