Intersectoral Action for Health the Sri Lankan Case Study

The purpose of this case study is to analyse the intersectoral synergic processes that contributed to the improvement of health in Sri Lanka and to draw lessons that would help to identify the scope for intersectoral action for health .The case study provides an overview of the intersectoral processes that produced the high health indicators during the period 1950 -1975 when Sri Lanka underwent a rapid health transition that prolonged life and reduced mortality and fertility. This transition is examined in relation to the improvement in other states of well-being which included education, housing , living conditions, livelihoods of the rural poor, and democratic political participation. The analysis demonstrates that the improvement in health occurred simultaneously with the improvement in other states of well being and this simultaneity of progress produced intersectoral links among them ; these in turn created intersectoral synergies which were mutually supportive and advanced all the indicators together. The study argues that it is the policies that gave equal weight to all these social goals and the simultaneity of progress that enabled people to achieve and sustain the high health indicators that are recorded for this period.