Transfusion dependent thalassaemia is a significant problem in Sri Lanka. In a study published in 2000, it was estimated that there were approximately 2000 transfusion dependent beta thalassaemia and HbE patients in Sri Lanka and the expenditure on them accounted for approximately 5% of the recurrent health budget of the country [1]. This number has by and large remained static over the past de...

The study, led by Dr. Ananda P. Dasanayake, Professor of Epidemiology & Health Promotion at New York University College of Dentistry in collaboration with the Faculty of Dental Sciences at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, eliminated smoking and alcohol use among a group of 190 pregnant women in the South Asian island nation of Sri Lanka, where a combination of cultural taboos and povert...

Professor Savitri Goonesekere is an international expert on the rights of women and children. She was the first woman Vice-Chancellor at the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, where she is currently Emeritus Professor of Law. From 1999 until 2002 she was a member of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Goonesekere has contributed to advocacy and law re...

4.1 Achieving low rates of infant and under-five mortality is of central importance for social well-being and human development. Sri Lanka has been extraordinarily successful in reducing its infant and child mortality rates over the last half-century. Indeed, over the period 1946-2000, Sri Lanka has been one of the most successful developing countries in the world in terms of infant and child m...

Medicine is one of the most sought after professions in the world. However, opportunities for students to realise this dream are few, particularly due to the competitive nature of university entrance examinations. This essay discusses the establishment of private medical schools in Sri Lanka and the expanded opportunities now available for medical students. There are differing perspectives on t...

[1] Investigating the September to December rainy season in Sri Lanka associated with the Maha rice growing season provides insights into the Asian monsoon during the boreal fall. Here, the modulation of the Maha rainfall by the tropical air_sea coupled phenomenon referred to as the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is documented. The Maha rainfall has a strong and robust association with the IOD from ...

In a recent study published by the National Project team on chronic kidney diseases of unknown origin in Sri Lanka, we believe there to be flaws in the design, analysis, and conclusions, which should be discussed further. The authors wanted to emphasis Cadmium as the major risk factor for chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology in Sri Lanka while undermining the importance of Arsenic and nep...

The prevalence of leptospirosis in Sri Lanka has gradually increased since the earliest reports in 1953 [1]. Statistics show that in 2007 about 10% of medical ICU admissions were due to leptospirosis, and 65% of them died from complications. Regular evaluation of the clinical features of leptospirosis is important for early detection and accurate management of the disease [1]. The objective of ...

Adult trematodes of the genus Philophthalmus that parasitize the conjunctival sac of birds can cause accidental human infection. Human philophthalmosis is rare, but isolated cases have been reported from several countries including Sri Lanka [1-6]. Adult flukes lay eggs that hatch on contact with water and develop in snail hosts. The emerging cercariae encyst on animate or inanimate objects in ...

BACKGROUND Sri Lanka has a long history of malaria control, and over the past decade has had dramatic declines in cases amid a national conflict. A case study of Sri Lanka's malaria programme was conducted to characterize the programme and explain recent progress. METHODS The case study employed qualitative and quantitative methods. Data were collected from published and grey literature, dist...